#i need them to be let loose in barovia

[finncakes]

session 0 can't come sooner

[ask-the-crimson-king]

Hey in order to stop letting the dash be consumed by weird discourse, have a D&D tale from the Curse of Strahd game I’m running

[The party is all level 2 at this point in time. 

THEY ARE: >Aeternus, a wild soul barbarian goliath who is more akin to a golem. He has no memory of his past, but he vaguely remembers a war. He has since been found by another member of the party, and has been promised with an answer to who his creator is and why he was created.

>Arazel, a blood angel (essentially an aasimar and tiefling hybrid) AT THIS POINT celestial warlock (changed his class to a bard due to the fact that HE WAS PLAYING THIS CHARACTER LIKE A BARD), whose patron was a solar named Sanguinius. (It was too perfect, and HE CHOSE A SOLAR. So THERE. Also he still kinda has a patron as a bard, just doesn’t really reap the benefits.) Also was the one who found Aeternus. He is functionally kind of like a witcher, so he took up a contract to try and kill Strahd.

>Caleb, a vampire Gunslinger who hunts other vampires. Essentially a revenge plot, and a bounty hunter. Knows about van Richten, and wishes to finish what he started. 

>Leon, a human Time Domain Cleric who was formerly a soldier. He had settled down for a while until his patron, Tempus, urged him to seek out a prophetess in order to vanquish an ancient evil. 

SO, the crew is in Barovia and they’re in a tavern. Almost everyone is asleep, barring Aeternus, and they all hear commotion coming from a house down the street. Upon investigating, they find the burgomaster’s mansion and they see Strahd himself trying to be invited inside. The party sneaks in, all except for Leon, who decides to sneak around the back. Just in case there are monsters waiting.

Crit fails the stealth save. Strahd sees him. Charms him. Asks him to go inside and try and convince the wonderful lady within to let him in. 

The party has no idea.

Caleb goes upstairs and is beset by wolves, as are the rest of the party downstairs. During combat, Leon walks inside and goes upstairs. After a bit of fighting (and the introduction of Kolyana, Ismark, and Ireena), Strahd finally looks to Leon and says, “Won’t you be a kind friend and invite me in?”

“Sure, come on in, buddy!”

Caleb tries to shoot him, but misses. Strahd is now in the fucking house, but luckily it’s Aeternus’ turn. Aeternus grabs everyone in the room (at this point Caleb, Leon, Ismark, and Ireena) and charges at the window -- and he takes out Strahd with him. Hearing the commotion, Arazel and Kolyana, who had been taking out some wolves below, run outside just as Aeternus touches down safely. 

Leon is still charmed. Strahd is pissed, but reigning in his anger. 

Arazel swaggers up to Strahd and lays this man out by saying, and I quote,

“You’re going around charming people and stealing people’s sister, what because you can’t keep it in your pants? You’re all lonely up in your grim castle? I think you made the biggest mistake in your life and you’re over compensating for it. You’re regretting becoming immortal, and it hurts everyday. Why don’t you end it all and settle for a cozy afterlife?” 

Do you see how he was playing a bard? (He also tried to seduce a barkeep so he wouldn’t have to pay 4 copper for a drink when he had plenty of gold AND his solution to cheer people up was to use minor illusion to make music. Arazel is now a bard)

I allow it to be a viscous mockery, and Strahd is taken aback and stunned for a few moments. Aeternus takes this opportunity to sweep up everyone and he just runs as fast as he can into an abandoned house. Strahd gives chase, but the party makes it inside. We argue for a few minutes over the merits of him coming inside, and I concede that he has to be invited in (as did Caleb, but Aeternus quickly invited him in before anything bad happened). So he’s standing at the doorway and he looks absolutely livid. But he doesn’t show it in his face, only his eyes. Aeternus has one hand firmly clamped over Leon’s mouth, and asks Ismark how to undo a charm. Ismark says to hit him.

Enter what I call the ‘Three Stooges’ scene, where Aeternus kept trying to hit everyone who was consecutively getting charmed. Arazel was charmed the longest, he needed to be bopped at least seven times before he made the save. Each time they let him go, he was about to invite Strahd in before Aeturnus bopped him again. 

Aeternus HIMSELF even got charmed, but Kolyana pulled back his head and bopped him in the face. He made the save.

The entire time, Strahd is watching and getting more and more frustrated. The party hears the howling of wolves. So they try and hatch a plan to distract Strahd. Kolyana and Arazel go investigate and find a back door. Meanwhile, Aeternus hands Caleb some wooden stakes to load into his crossbow. Caleb takes aim, and fires directly at Strahd’s heart...

... and misses. Big time. But Caleb is already running with Aeternus, and everyone bolts out the back door. Strahd seems to have disappeared, but 12 wolves have appeared instead. Caleb says that he needs to go back and retrieve his coffin from the tavern, and Arazel flies with him to go retrieve it and to wake an NPC who has a cart. 

The others make a run for it. Kolyana says that there may be a few safe villages but they may be a ways away. Aeternus and Leon say that they don’t have a choice, and so they start running for the other side of the village. The pack splits.

The six wolves following Arazel are fast on his heels. But Arazel has a plan. Strahd knows that, when communicating with his deity, Arazel glows. So he drops off Caleb and doubles back to an abandoned house, casting Light on a table. He hides. The wolves all go inside, and then Arazel casts Sacred Flame as he slams the door behind them and goes to help Caleb. Caleb and Arazel then wake their NPC friend, and get in the cart to go find the others.

Meanwhile, Aeternus immediately rages. The markings covering him faintly begin to glow, and he lets loose this immense roar of anger, and rage, and pain. He successfully intimidates the six wolves and so they all -- except one -- run away. One lingers, staring at Aeternus for a few moments, before it turns tail and follows the others.

The party doesn’t know that was Strahd himself. 

But they successfully have left the village at this point, they all climb into the cart, and make their way to hopefully a safer place to stay.]

[ladylaurana]

Fates Worse

It wasn't the first time The Mists had rolled in to change everything, friends turning to strangers, new challenges ahead. Still, every time Laurana couldn't help but feel a spike of fear, always reaching for Christoph, so scared that they would get separated somehow.

It was cold as she was enveloped, fingers grasping at empty space, The Mists almost suffocating, filling her lungs and all senses as she could almost feel herself move without moving. Sunlight beat down on her face as it receded away, causing her to frown. The sun never shone in Barovia, she had often joked that was what made her so well suited to the climate. People bustled around her, colourful fabrics and rich smells surrounded her in a familiar marketplace. "We're out! Christoph, we're free!" She turned to look at her lover, only for fear to coil in her stomach at the empty space beside her. She looked around, panicked.

No Rowan, no Rezzi, no Mavis or Girda. No familiar faces. She was alone in this ocean of people, in the marketplace just outside the gates to her Father's castle.

Perhaps they had just been sent back to where they were originally from? Her family easily had the resources, mundane and arcane, to track down her friends. It would be fine. Maybe Prianna had gotten out and she and Rowan could set up a life together without fear of The Mists tearing it away.

Well, there was only one thing to do; and she strode towards the open castle gates, breezing past the guards without being stopped, but there were a few odd looks. Well, she had to admit she wasn’t quite at court presentability, but this was her home.

Oh worse, Court was in session; and she could hear the whispers following her as she marched through the halls with purpose, not the serene gliding that she was meant to walk with. There just wasn’t time for that.

Whispers might have followed her through the halls, but the room fell silent as she entered it. The petitioner, Lord… Gaizin she thought, didn’t he have a son he’d tried to marry her to at one point, stared at her in poorly concealed fury at her interruption. Mother looked like she’d seen a ghost, that was a point, she didn’t know exactly how long she’d been gone… Father was looking at her expectantly, brow furrowed. “I’m back; and I need help because I don’t know…”

She trailed off, Father now looked like he’d just had a mouthful of spoiled milk. What was wrong? Oh, right, manners! Amazing how easy it was to forget when no one was scolding you for any mistakes. Her curtsey was brief and abrupt, far from the ones she used to stress so much about perfecting. There just wasn’t time! “My Lord Father, Your Grace, as I was saying, I’m back but my companions aren’t and I need to-” There was someone in front of her, fingers like a vice on her upper arm. Why was Michael cutting her off? He should be helping her!

“My sister is obviously tired from her obviously stressful journey. Perhaps formality can be put aside this once to allow her to rest before she presents herself to Court?” His voice was smooth, always so good at knowing what to say and how to smooth ruffled feathers.

She heard Father speak up, “I’m grateful my daughter has returned to us safely, but yes, perhaps it is best she take time to recover herself.” Oh, he was mad at her. Wouldn’t be the first time. Michael’s fingers tightened on her bicep and she was less than gracefully pulled from the receiving room, Michael hissing in her ear. “What were you thinking just storming in there, looking like this, without even announcing yourself?” Looking like…? Oh, yes, she was in one of the dresses she’d gotten in Barovia. It was different, but it was far from the indecency Michael seemed to be proposing.

“I need to find my friends, no one seems to be listening to me on that. I know some of them are from the Sword Coast, so I just needs some scrolls of Sending or the like. Could you stop pulling me so hard!” She tried to plant her feet, but Michael’s grip was insistent, marching her towards her room as he ignored her protests, but at least he wasn’t berating her any more.

They stopped at the door, Michael letting out a long suffering sigh before tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear, letting go of her arm. “Rana. You’re home, you’re safe. We can find your… companions later. Let me look after you for now.” His eyes were tender as he looked at her, and she felt most of her indigence fade under his expression. He was worried about her, had been worrying about her. She let out a low breath and nodded, Michael smiling at her and opening the door, ushering her inside. “Archimedes has let the maids know to draw you a bath, he’ll be here in a little bit. He missed you.” She let herself be moved, smiling a little. Of course, just the raven missed her, not her brother at all.

Maids bustled in through the door, dragging in a large tub and pails of steaming water, followed by the fluttering of wings as Archimedes flew through the door and landed on the foot of her bed. Tiberius scampered out from his pouch at her waist, eager to meet up again with his friend. She smiled a little at the display, barely noticing her brother dismissing the maids. “What…?”

“Do you really want to be surrounded by gossiping maids, or do you want to relax?” Michael asked her, like it was the most natural thing in the world. “Now let’s get you undressed.”

A bath would be lovely; and it was just Michael… She reached around the back of her dress to the laces there; and he moved over, gently spinning her on the spot so he could undo them for her, apparently wanting her to do as little as possible. He always did fret over her exerting herself too much. The dress came loose and he started to push it from her shoulders, pausing for a moment and gently running his fingers over one of the love bites Christoph had given her the other night, a flush rising to her cheeks at the memory, Michael making a soft “Tsk”-ing noise, but didn’t comment, a small blessing. The dress fell to the floor and she obediently stepped out of it without having to be told; and she could almost feel Michael smile at that before his long fingers started to undo the layers of petticoats that were so popular in Barovia and she’d taken a fancy to. They too fell to the floor; and his hands gently ran over the sides of the corset she was wearing, something else unique to Barovia, not quite the stays she’d grown up wearing. But Christoph had always seemed to like how it drew her waist in; and surely Michael was just puzzling over the strange garment for a few moments before starting to undo the knot at her back, pulling open the laces and eventually peeling the article from her entirely, letting it drop to the floor.

Warm hands lifted her, and she let out a soft squeak; she hadn’t been expecting that, removed from the frills and fabric and placed back down next to the crackling fireplace, Michael spinning her to face him again, a small smile on his face as he bent down, gently tugging off her boots as she braced a hand against his shoulder for balance. Now she was just in her chemise, it was good she was next to the fire, forgetting how cold the castle could be after the cosy warmth of the windmill. Boots off and carelessly tossed towards the large pile of fabric on the floor, Michael pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “I’m going to go and get you some fresh sheets and a clean chemise, you enjoy your bath and Archimedes will be here to keep you company.”

She gave him a small nod, wetting her lips for a moment before asking softly “Can you at least try a Sending for Christoph? Captain Christoph Athelrod?”

She wasn’t sure what the look behind his eyes was in that moment, his smile seeming a little forced, but he nodded, her clothes in his arms as he left her alone. She let out a long breath, walking over to gently pet Archimedes and receiving an appreciative croak in response. “I missed you to.” She pulled off her chemise, rolled down her stockings and stepped into the gently steaming water, letting out a soft noise of appreciation as her muscles already relaxed. She was pretty sure none of her friends would begrudge her a hot bath.

Laurana let herself sink under the water for a moment, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to sleep, to rest and search for them, for him, in the morning. If nothing else, she would probably be the easiest to find; it wasn’t as if her family wasn’t notable. They would find each other; and she could finally show them, him, everything she wanted to. They would read vast libraries and cause such scandals in society, but everything would be fine.

Michael stepped back into the room as she breached the surface, smiling over at her and laying her a fresh chemise on the bed. He walked over to her, picking up the sponge left for her and starting to gently wash her shoulders as she drew her knees up to her chest. She’d grown up bathing with an attendant, but it was normally one of the maids… This was just Michael being overly protective of her again, but she reached up and took the sponge from him and he gave it up without protest, going to sit on her bed and watch over her.

The actual cleaning process of the bath was quick and efficient, too long of having to share one small tub. She stood up, facing away from him, looking around for the towels, only to feel one draped over her shoulders. “Thank you Michael,” stepping out of the bath and drying herself quickly in front of the fire. She wrapped herself in the towel as she went over to the bed, Michael studiously looking away from her as she changed into this fresh chemise, she could see that Tiberius had already started to burrow himself under the covers of her bed, Archimedes watching her movements. She gently stroked the bird once again, her brother almost stiffening a little as she did. “Thank you for taking care of me Michael.”

“It’s quite fine. You know I’d do anything for you Rana.” He stood, Archimedes hopping over onto his shoulder, always seeming too large to be comfortable but apparently they made it work. “Get some sleep, we can discuss things tomorrow.” He turned to smile at her as he was in the threshold, starting to close the door to her. “Within a couple of days, it’ll be like you never left.”

[tmae3114]

Tell us about the AUs. all of them.

Friend, that is a lot of AUs.

But okay!!

I won’t go immensely in-depth because a) that’d take forever and b) I want to do separate posts and drawings and stuff for a bunch of these

Okay, so, going in the order that I mentioned them in the tags:

(whoops this is going under a cut because It Got Long)

The Pokemon AU

More of a fusion than strictly an AU, I guess, because it’s pretty much “canon, but there are pokemon”.

I’ve determined full teams for the whole ‘crew, along with the genders, levels, abilities, natures, and movesets of all of their pokemon. I got… really into it. I went way too detailed with their teams. I even know what kind of pokeball each of their pokemon are in. I’m in the process of nicknaming them. I’ve also got scatterings of backstory for how they came to have each of the pokemon in their teams!

For now, I’ll tell you what their teams are, along with the nicknames and such of their pokemon. More in-depth stuff (such as aforementioned abilities and movesets and also the backstories) should probably be saved for a different post.

Diath:

“Cath” - Klefki - ♂

Ninjask - ♀

Scyther - ♀

Liepard - ♂

“Dawnguide” - Absol - ♀ 

“Gutter” - Aegislash - ♂

The pattern I went with for nicknaming Diath’s pokemon is based off of the one thing we’ve seen him name in canon - Moonsplinter. So the nicknames for his pokemon, when I eventually come up with them, will be two nouns put together into a name that connects what was named to someone or something important to him. Cath and Gutter are exceptions to the pattern because they were gift pokemon and came with the names (…sort of, in Cath’s case).

Evelyn:

“Morning Glory” - Rapidash - ♀ 

“Periwinkle” - Lycanroc (Midnight Forme) - ♀ 

“Thistleberry” - Eevee - ♂ 

“Sunflower” - Larvesta - ♀ 

“Jonquil” - Solrock - N/A 

“Juniper” - Pichu - ♀

The pattern I went with for nicknaming Evelyn’s pokemon started with Morning Glory and Juniper - I figured that since Evelyn showed a predilection towards plant names in canon, it was as good a theme as any to run with. Thistleberry is the closest to breaking that pattern, since I’ve been unable to find out if that’s actually a real plant (I’ve found thimbleberries but not thistleberries, so I feel like they might be a fantasy thing) in which case you could argue that he was named for Evelyn’s favourite pie. The reasoning for Sunflower should be obvious, a jonquil is a kind of flower similar to a daffodil which sort of resembles a sun in shape, and periwinkles mean “early friendship” in flower language, and Evie sure does make friends fast.

Jonquil may or may not mean “I desire a return of affection” in flower language but sshhhh, that was unintentional

Strix:

“Fuzzywuzz” - Venomoth - ♂

“Waffles” - Ursaring - ♀ 

Mismagius - ♀ 

“Stinky Junior” - Garbodor - ♀ 

“Clothy McClothface” - Banette - ♀ 

“Stinky” - Alolan Rattata - ♂

I don’t think I really need to explain the pattern/theme for naming Strix’s pokemon because, well, *gestures at canon* I just tried to follow the existing naming patterns.

Paultin:

“Palpatine” - Malamar - ♂ 

Exploud- ♂ 

“Charlotte” - Chatot - ♀ 

Gengar - ♂ 

“Peter” - Baltoy  - ♂ 

Alolan Marowak- ♀

I don’t strictly have a naming pattern for Paultin, wildcard that he is. I’ve just been operating on a general rule of “regular real life name that sounds fitting” (a la him naming Simon) or “reference”.

The Superhero AU

You are getting far less information about this one because it’s going to be getting posts of its own when I finally get the drawings for it finished - I’m going to do character profiles and everything.

The basic premise is a vaguely-modern-era-ish Waterdeep (in a vaguely-modern-era-ish Faerun) has a lot of superheroes running around and the Wafflecrew happens to be one of the teams that call the city home. Diath, Strix, Evelyn and Paultin are all doing the secret identity thing and there will be shenanigans involving those because, well, here’s the thing:

The Wafflecrew is a superhero team who’s members keep their identities secret even from each other, mostly because they haven’t been together as a team for very long yet.

Diath, Strix, Evelyn, and Paultin, however, are a group of friends who happen to share a flat. Who are all trying very hard not to let on to their friends that they’re a superhero.

So. Shenanigans.

(Well, except for Diath and Strix. They know about each other’s secret identities)

I won’t tell you everyone’s codenames, though, because ~character profiles~ :3c

The Daemon AU

This one is more loosely defined than the others, to be honest. I will say, straight up, that I have never read His Dark Materials and don’t have any particular intent to, because I’ve read enough excerpts to know I could never get through it. But the concept of daemons is really cool and fun and I’ve read a ton of daemon aus and I feel no shame in yoinking the concept for an au despite never having read the source material.

Evelyn’s daemon is a Norwegian Forest Cat named Carwyn, Paultin’s is a lyrebird named Leto, Strix’s is a Barred Owl named Cináed, and Diath’s… well, if you were to ask him, he’d tell you that his daemon is a very shy house spider named Perdita. The thing is, nobody’s ever actually seen her…

Diath may or may not be in a Special Situation in this AU thanks to the whole ancient-soul-that-Shemeshka-has-part-of circumstance

The Class Swap AU

This one!! Is one that I love!! a lot!! And also one that I fully intend to give its own post with art.

It started with me realising that Mason Marthain existing presented the perfect Backstory Butterfly to play with things a little and justify Evelyn being a rogue in a class swap AU. From there, I just kept playing with their backstories to see what there was that could be tugged on to shift them to one of each other’s classes. Ultimately, my class swap AU stands as such:

Evelyn Marthain, a swashbuckler rogue. Inspired by a slightly different family member, in this universe, Evelyn decided at a young age that rather than follow in her father’s footsteps, she wanted to follow in her uncle’s. Thus, rather than training at the Spires and taking on the mantle of a paladin, she apprenticed on her Uncle’s ship throughout her childhood, and eventually became a rogue.

Diath Woodrow, an oath of devotion paladin. A childhood on the streets went just a little bit differently for Diath, this time around. After a paladin caught him preventing another street kid from pickpocketing, he got taken in by the Church of Selune and found a calling that appealed to his sense of duty and his desire for adventure at the same time. (How does the oath of devotion’s call to obey just authority mix with being chaotic good, you might ask? Well, how does one define “just” authority? In Class Swap!Diath’s case, as soon as someone abuses their power, their authority is no longer just)

Paultin Seppa, a wild magic sorceror. Paultin honestly doesn’t know where his powers came from. They’ve been at the tips of his fingers for as long as he can remember. It probably has something to do with the big swath of his childhood that he can’t remember but he’s not particularly bothered with trying to figure it out. (The thing is, a panicking, traumatised child, very much going into shock, tearing through the mists of Barovia and out of Ravenloft, all on his own and without parental supervision for the very first time, has so much potential to go wrong. He stumbled through a few less than hospitable places before he ended up on the Prime Material)

Strix, a college of glamour bard. Her years in the Feywild were harsh and this time it wasn’t Baba Yaga whose care she stumbled into. She learned a lot, living amongst the fey, and not least amongst that was how a silver tongue, with words carefully chosen and used, is a magic all of its own and also a very dangerous weapon.

I can’t say anything about the two AUs I’m currently writing fics for because spoilers~ so just know that They Exist

The Star Wars AU is extremely conceptual. It features aspiring Jedi Knight Evelyn Marthain, an Alderaanian human raised in the Coruscant Jedi Temple, travelling musician Paultin Seppa, a human of mysterious origin who has an even more mysterious knowledge of the Force, given that he seemingly has no connection to any known Force sects, galactic treasure hunter/archaeologist Diath Woodrow, a human from Coronet City on Corellia, whose heritage may-or-may-not have originated on a certain planet starting with ‘M’, and Strix, a force-sensitive woman of indeterminate species (at first glance, you might think zabrak, but zabraks don’t have tails. They also usually don’t have hair but it’s not like hybrids are completely an unknown possibility… the thing is, if she’s a hybrid, there’s no way she’s a hybrid of just two)

The RWBY AU is Exactly What It Says On The Tin. It’s just an AU where the Wafflecrew are in Remnant. They comprise Team DEPS (”Deeps”) and all I’ve really figured out is their weapons and semblances and tbh, as an AU, it’s probably not going much further than that.

I had a Lot of fun with their semblances, though.

[dndeviants]

Learning History

Linda sat in the humble mansion and observed everyone there, quietly. Ireena and Ismark were considerably more calm, and Grindle tended to the weak burgomaster. With all the hectic and harrowing things that happened, she hardly had time to take note of her surroundings.

She looked around, letting her feet wander into the living room. For a mansion, this place was humble and quaint. It did not have extravagance or luxury, but rather a kind of simple charm that was a small relief to the darkness and unnatural kind of feeling she had from this land. 

There was a small clock on the mantle of the fireplace, a portrait of the Burgomaster and his children rested above that, with a smaller portrait of a friendly looking woman off to the side. Linda took a moment to look at the clock and portrait of the woman.

"Sometimes, it is hard to tell time, especially with the recent fog...” Ireena sighed and looked over to the portrait of the woman, “But that picture over there is Ismark and my mother. She died when we were very young."

Linda turned to Ireena, "My mother died giving birth to me. I know how it is."

Ismark looked over to Linda and Ireena, "I'm sorry to hear that... miss... Linda? Was it?"

"Yes, you can call me Linda. Most people do. Melinda is mostly used by Grindle or in formalities. I keep my name more of a secret."

Ismark nodded, "You may find that everyone here has their secrets. What do you intend to do here?" He made a gesture to where Ruki had been standing before, "Do you trust those envoys?"

"I don't know what to think of them yet,” Linda admitted, “From what I can tell they are just regular people like the rest of us. They just happen to work for Strahd. Who I also have very little to go off of. I just need to find some more information. A history book? What did history say about the 'previous' Strahds?"

The Burgomaster, Kolyan Indirovich, sat up on the couch, "I may be able to help you there... before I was elected Burgomaster, I was a military historian, and worked closely with the town guards..."

Ismark put a hand on Kolyan’s shoulder, "Father, you need your rest."

"I would be happy to gain some insight,” Linda said. She looked at the weary man, “Though, how are you feeling?"

Kolyan leaned back on the couch, "Ismark, bring me the red-bound book. Barovia and its Histories. I am well enough to read, if you don't want me moving."

Ismark nodded and went to the small bookshelf by the fireplace, selecting a red leather bound book and handing it over to his father. Kolyan examined the book and opened it.

 "Barovia's history before Strahd is strangely very limited...” Kolyan explained, “but I can give you a brief overview of how things happened over the ages. At least... whatever has been recorded."

He flipped a page, "From what I understand, Strahd was a foreign prince with an army that had come to liberate Barovia from the Tergish invaders that had conquered and stole Barovia from his predecessors," he skimmed through pages, "And it appears... that Strahd was a young man at the time- but already had plenty of war experience in his homeland. He was 21, and a highly decorated general before the Tergish Invasion began. And when he entered Barovia, the war lasted for Twenty Eight years... Between the years 320 and 348. It is the year 728 now."

"It was fractured reports on what his rule was like. It was very strict in the following years, and his nickname from the war, 'the Devil Strahd' never seemed to fade. Many burgomasters were executed in the villages for trying to cheat the tax systems... there was a period of mercy right before the Wedding Massacre..." Kolyan squinted at the page, "But the consensus was that Strahd had murdered all his rivals from the homelands because of political tension. The alleged reign of Strahd the First ended in 400."

He skims more, "Strahd the second and third continued the legal practices of the first, but those reigns were uneventful. As was the fourth..." Kolyan pointed his finger at the book, "Aha, but the Invasion of Azalin occured during the fifth's reign... during that time, it appeared that Strahd was mostly a hero to his people... it was a triumph of mortal ingenuity over the machinations of an evil Lich... But that seems to be the extent of the praise toward any of the Strahds. Because after the Invasion was over... Strahd the sixth was the worst tyrant ever to befall Barovia..."

Kolyan blinked and held the book up to his face, "Ah no, the seventh was the worst. I may need my glasses, Ismark."

"Right away father..." Ismark began to search for his father’s glasses.

Linda gathered her thoughts and began to question in this small break, "So, as a ruler, he was a hero, but then a tyrant? What happened? Also.. this means that his real age is either 428 or 429.... so we are dealing with an Ancient vampire.... which doesn't make sense if he is the First Vampire.... there are some older than that where I'm from...” She paused, “It's the year 728 here? It's the year 1677 where I am from... the moon is different here...” She felt herself go numb at the confirmation, “This isn't Toril..."

Ismark returned with his father’s glasses and Kolyan donned them onto his face. Kolyan sighed, "I... know very little about vampires, Miss Melinda... All I can tell you is what is recorded."

Kolyan resumed reading, "But Strahd the seventh... this is the interesting part... he was murdered by foreign adventurers in the year 628. It wasn't long after that that Strahd the eighth took over, but with a more level hand of rule."

Kolyan nodded as he read, "It seems Strahd the eighth was also considered a hero. He had courted a lady named Ireena Strasnya, and planned a wedding for her, before she fell ill and died on the day before... ten years after that, a Death Knight, named Lord Soth invaded Barovia, and terrorized the land. It fell to Strahd the eighth to save our villages from the undead terrorist."

Linda steepled her fingers and made a mental tally, "So twice the hero, once the tyrant."

Kolyan quickly passed through the rest of the book, "Ninth, uneventful... tenth...uneventful...and that is where this issue ends..."

He closed the book and took off his glasses. He rubbed his eyes, and began to explain, "Now, three years ago is when the 'eleventh' took over. He was openly a necromancer, but considering our country's history, we didn't consider it odd. We have a tendency to be invaded by hordes of undead, so we thought nothing of having a necromantic ruler. We thought that since all the other Strahds had been military geniuses, that this was a strategy to prevent invasion and to study the undead. However, it is still an evil art in nature, so he still had the nickname of the Devil."

He looked over to Linda, "Come last year, we found out that he had been a vampire manipulating us all along..."

Linda folded her arms and frowned. She adhered to a principle of judging people by their actions, not their reputation. It seemed to her that he had several opportunities to simply allow for catastrophe... but didn’t? The vampire situation was a tough call. Her own experiences with vampires were unsavory, and she was glad to be rid of all of them. But with all the werewolf stuff that she had to deal with here... it was best to just placate the situation for now. Strahd would be aware of her actions here, and she couldn’t afford to have him against her right now, either.

"Sure, and that is quite the discovery, but has it not come to everyone's mind that that same man is the one who defeated a Lich and a Deathknight to protect his people?” Linda posited a theory, even though she knew it may be untrue, “He may actually care about the Barovians. He might just be heavy-handed with his ruling tactics, which is not great, and hard to do right. Many rulers get it wrong. And some are the opposite of being heavy-handed and don't care at all and let criminals run loose. I say pick your poison...” 

She saw uncertainty in the room. She didn’t know why she thought that would change anything. She sighed, “None of this matters though. Apparently, Strahd has had enough with ruling over people and just wants to find someone to take his place. With his level of popularity though, I can see why he is having a hard time even with envoys doing the work for him,” she leaned against the wall, “Needless-to-say, I have no idea why I was asked to help with that. Honestly, I just wanted to find my kidnapped apprentice and be on my way. However, there is something about this place that I just can't put my finger on. Everything is 'familiar' but I don't know why. I just get this weird feeling deep inside of me that something is 'off'."

Kolyan nodded in understanding, "Believe it or not, every Barovian has that feeling. Something in this land is terribly, terribly 'off...' I hope you find your apprentice. Too often, missing children are never found, or found dead... and gods, we've had a lot of missing children... And I don't know if it is superstition or not, but I can't help but feel that these attacks, these missing children, and Lord Strahd's search for an heir is linked."

Kolyan rose from the couch slowly, "I will retire. It is late, but as Burgomaster, to thank you for your service, I will lend my guest room to you, and try to provide you with the aid you need, whether it is supplies or introductions. Have a good night..."

Kolyan walked over to Ireena and put a hand on her forehead,  "I'm sorry, I wasn't able to do anything to protect you. We can discuss our options in the morning. But... I don't think the village is safe for you anymore."

Ireena teared up, but nodded, "I understand, Father."

Kolyan nodded to Ismark, and bid everyone goodnight, slowly taking his leave, and walked up the stairs. Grindle sat on the floor and sighed.

Linda had an idea and addressed Ireena, "If you can't stay here. I wouldn't be opposed to you traveling with us. I am not one to stick in one place when I have research to do and leads to follow."

Ireena turned to Linda in shock, "I've never been out of the village... I don't know how much help I'll be."

Linda simply shrugged, "Just someone who knows the customs of Barovia is a big help. There are cases in which me being a complete foreigner won't help my research. Also, introductions are easier."

Ireena nodded and moved to sit closer, "You seem to know a lot about vampires. It would probably be best if I stuck with you as well. Can... Can I do anything to protect myself from them while I sleep?" Ireena clutched at her nightshirt.

 "How about I stay with you? I'm not much of a heavy sleeper, and as you can see I am well armed...” Linda indicated her holstered pistol and machete at her side, “I also am skilled in much of the same profession as the good doctor, but let's keep that between us."

Linda gave Ireena a pointed look. It wouldn’t help her research any if Strahd knew there was a hunter of monsters in his midst either. Keeping quiet about that was as close to laying low as she could get.

Ireena blinked, then nodded her understanding, "Oh... I see. Alright. I would be glad to have you join me then." Ireena rose and spoke to Ismark, “I’m going to my room. Linda will stay with me...”

Linda nodded and looked over to Grindle, "That frees up the guest room for my dad."

Grindle snapped to attention and nodded, tiredly, "Thanks. I've just been taking everything in. Sorry if I'm not much for conversation right now. A whole lotta crazy happened in such... such a short time," He breathed in sharply through his bulbous nose, and tugged on his face with his hand.

Linda spoke softly, "I could tell. I hope you rest well," she turned to Ireena, “Shall we head to bed?"

Ireena nodded and beckoned Linda to follow her back upstairs. Linda followed Ireena as the young woman cautiously entered her own room. Ireena went straight to the window, pulling down the glass panes and locking them. She tested the security a few times by trying to pull up, but the panes did not budge. Satisfied, Ireena drew the curtains closed. She walked over to her dresser and searched her drawers for something before pulling out a little pendant of Lathander.

"I've not worn this in a while. I probably should..." Ireena put the pendant around her neck.

Linda nodded, and touched her own holy symbol under her scarf, "Couldn't hurt. I believe my faith is what has kept me alive in a profession where so many die young. Myself and Van Richten are exceptions."

Ireena nodded and sat on her bed, motioning for Linda to join her, “You fought monsters?”

Linda raised a brow and smirked, joining her younger counterpart on the bed, "Quite a few. Vampires, werewolves, undead, a grick... Hell, even throw pirates into the mix as a different kind of monster."

Ireena’s eyes widened. She couldn’t imagine anyone standing up to such creatures, let alone surviving and fighting them. "Wow...” she breathed, “I'm glad you are here then... " Ireena slipped her legs under the covers and slid over to the wall, leaving Linda on the outside of the bed.

Linda undid her boots and her belt, laying her weapons within arm’s reach, and slid her legs under the blankets, "I have quite the resume. Saved my town a couple of times. I'm usually to the fight before the town guard is now."

Ireena laughed,"You'll have to tell me all your stories then! I... I hope you find whatever you are looking for,” she sighed, “I just... want to be safe. I'm... scared. I felt like I was dying. I don't want to die... or be undead. Ismark and Papa would miss me so... It would break their hearts."

Linda nodded. Her fears were understandable, and Ireena’s concern for her family..."You have a great family,” Linda said, “I sometimes wonder how mine would be, but I am really glad to have Grindle."

Ireena lightly touched the mark on her throat, "The small man who was talking to Papa?"

Linda smiled fondly, thinking of the gnome who raised her, "Yeah, he adopted me when my whole family was killed. I learned to tinker from him as a child and when our home went up in flames, he is the one that got me out. He took me in and raised me. I believe he and my father where close friends before everything happened...."

Ireena was quiet for a few moments, "I couldn't imagine if anything would have happened to my father... thank you, for everything," Ireena closed her eyes and turned on her side, "For what it is worth... have a good night, Miss Linda."

"You as well," Linda replied.

"Gods bless you..." Ireena murmured as she let sleep take her.

Linda stayed up, listening to the sounds of the house, and studying the shadows on the wall, before drifting into a sleep, smirking slightly at her blessing.

[gwydionae]

Just Another Tuesday

A/N: Welp. Guess I did another one. The scene in the middle of this was bouncing around endlessly in my head until I wrote it down. Thought I should try and spruce it up and post it before it gets rendered non-canon by episode 85. Still feel a bit strange writing these characters, but hopefully I handled them ok.

Posted on fanfiction.net >here<. Posted on AO3 >here<.

Teaser: Their recent perils really had been his fault. But one look at Paultin was all it ever took to keep Strix from hurling a constant stream of fireballs and obscenities in his direction as her personal form of righteous retribution.  No one should ever be manipulated and forced into killing their own family.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dice, Camera, Action or Dungeons and Dragons. Takes place after episode 84. Rated T for mild language.

Just Another Tuesday

"I hate this place."

The muttered rant had become a mantra for Strix. She'd said it over and over while despairing in Barovia, deep in the depths of Ironslag, and again in the stifling jungles of Chult. So it came as no surprise that her use of the phrase continued in the heart of the Shadowfell, trapped in a dilapidated carriage filled with barmy companions that was being pulled by a hook-handed ogre zombie.

Just another Tuesday. Or Wednesday. Monday? Whatever day it was.

Diagonal from her was Diath, arms folded and head against the window. The frown he wore was so commonplace now, as if permanently carved into his face. Even in his sleep, eyes closed and breathing slow, he looked troubled, fearful of the next thing he was sure to blame himself for. She'd known him longer than anyone, and every time she thought he couldn't get any worse, couldn't be any more hard on himself, something came along to prove her wrong.

Strix hated it. Diath should be jumping around doing somersaults or cartwheels or whatever fancy acrobatics he used to get out of trouble. He had no right to be sitting there so passively, looking like a child waiting to be reprimanded even in his dreams. Calm, collected, decisive, just a bit cocky - these were traits she once associated with him, but that felt like a lifetime ago.

In a way, it was a lifetime ago.

With a muffled whimper, she shook her head and turned her attention to Evelyn who sat next to her, also asleep - Did constructs sleep? Could she dream? - her lowered head bobbing with the movement of the carriage. She'd been doing that a lot lately, sleeping. It was strange, the normally too bright, too vibrant, too lively paladin being so quiet and solemn. When she was awake, she spoke less than usual, and her tone had become strained and melancholy, though she made feeble attempts to hide it.

Strix hated that too. While Evelyn's constant yammering about Lathander was enough to drive even the sanest crazy, the warmth she normally gave off had the power to soften the hardest of hearts. Admitting this out loud wasn't going to happen any time soon, but Strix missed her smile, her optimism. Evelyn shouldn't be sad. She didn't deserve to be sad. None of them did.

Well...

Despite being quite aware that he, at least, was awake, she couldn't be bothered to try and dull the harsh glare she sent Paultin in the seat across from her. However, as soon as it landed on him, it faded, as it always did, discarded with a tired sigh.

Their recent perils really had been his fault. He had chosen to put on that damned ring, ignoring all the warnings and their numerous pleas to take it off. His greed had divided them and dragged them to the Shadowfell, wasting precious time in their quest to free most of their party from the Death Curse, which even now desperately tried to claim them. Miranda was gone, Izek was on their tail, a broken dwarf turned to stone lay at her feet, and on top of all of that, everyone she loved and cared about was a shell of themselves, their hope and light sucked out thanks to remaining in such a dreadful plane for so long.

But one look at Paultin was all it ever took to keep Strix from hurling a constant stream of fireballs and obscenities in his direction as her personal form of righteous retribution.

He was different. Physically, yes, of course, how could she not notice how thin, pale, and horribly Strahd-like he had become under the ring's influence? But it went beyond that. After gulping down an entire pint of ale and smashing the tankard against one of the ice sculptures bearing his face, Paultin hadn't so much as glanced at a wineskin. Instead his eyes focused on nothing, clear but empty, ever staring out the window of the carriage and into the grey wasteland, his arm hanging loosely over Simon who refused to leave his side. There he remained, awake but limp, lost in his own thoughts, never moving. Once or twice she'd anxiously stared at his eyes, waiting impatiently for them to blink just to make sure he was still alive.

Paultin had never been one to hold a deep conversation, but the lively, often insensitive quips that used to fall from his lips so effortlessly were choked down. Now his responses were limited to unintelligible grunts, if any response was given at all. The wit and banter had been cast aside, replaced with suffocating silence.

A very big part of Strix did not want to feel sorry for such a selfish bastard. This had been entirely his own fault. He was to blame. Let him wallow in his guilt! By putting on that ring, he had brought the horror and misery to both him and the rest of their unlucky band. But...

But no one deserved his fate. No one should ever be manipulated and forced into killing their own family, no matter how foolish and greedy their actions.

Well, he was family to her, anyway. As for the reverse -

"Hey."

Strix jumped in her seat, barely stifling a shout of panic at the sudden break in the silence. Blinking rapidly, she looked up at the gaunt man sitting across from her, sure the voice had come from him though there were no outward signs to confirm it. His absent gaze hadn't left the dirty window pane, and he sat motionless as he had since the very first mile, arm still draped over Simon.

Frowning, she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "...what?"

A pregnant pause hung in the carriage, leaving her feeling antsy, wringing her hands and tapping her feet impatiently as she wondered if she'd really even heard anything, until finally Paultin opened his mouth to speak again.

"Promise me something."

A loud sigh escaped her lips as she folded her arms in an attempt to keep them still. His first words in... how long had it been? And the greedy bard wanted something. Because of course he did.

"Promise you what?"

Paultin drew in a long, slow breath before answering. "I want you to promise me that if anything like that happens again - "

"Uh-uh, nope, nope, no - " Her wild hair flew in her face as she began shaking her head, gripping her arms even tighter as she tried to tune out the rest of his words. She knew where this was headed. She was not having this conversation. She would not have this conversation. These would not be the first full words she would hear him say since climbing into this damned carriage!

" - whether it's the Ring of Winter or some other weird piece of shit we find - "

" - no, no, no no no - "

" - I want you to take me down, no hesitation."

" - no, NO! I said, no! I'm not listening to you! Stop it!" Strix reached up to grab her hat, pulling it down over her forehead as she brought her knees up to her chin, her head continuing to shake vigorously, a constant stream of denial pouring from her lips being muffled by her robes. She wasn't sure how long she sat like that before Paultin's voice broke through her defenses.

"Strix, I want you to calm down, and just listen to me for a minute."

Her eyes widened as the bard's words tickled in her ear, seeming to both electrify and calm her body at once, the magic lacing them registering right before she unwillingly gave in, heeding the quiet suggestion. Breathing slowed and sweaty hands unclenched as she at last peeked her head up to look at the one compelling her obedience. For the first time in this entire journey, he was leaning forward, looking at her, and what she saw in his eyes was not emptiness but resolve.

"Look. I need you to do this. Not just for you, not just for them - " he glanced at the - thankfully - still asleep Diath and Evelyn, Simon now looking up at him curiously " - but also for me. That - that was... I can't..."

Strix stared at him in forced but attentive silence, watching as his eyes broke from her's to study the floor, his mouth becoming a thin line, before looking back up, a gaze for once completely unguarded. His carefully built walls cracked as he pushed the rest of his sentence through his teeth, "...I can't go through that again. And I don't want anyone else in here to have to either. I need you to do this."

The rattle of carriage wheels over packed dirt and rock sounded almost deafening as Paultin's words hung in the air like a poisonous mist, leaving Strix's heart to pound and ache in her chest. She chewed on her lip but held his gaze as the magical compulsion wore off, fighting the urge to suddenly polymorph him in retaliation. Perhaps a scrawny, black chicken. Yeah...

She let out a defiant huff. "Why me?"

Leaning back, his eyes flickered over to Diath's sleeping form - "Because he's not strong enough." - before resting on Evelyn - "And she - she shouldn't have to."

That part of her that blamed him, hated him, wanted nothing more than to watch him suffer for his crimes - that same part of her could have agreed so easily. It remembered what happened when she tried talking instead of blasting. It remembered falling into a pool of her own blood, only saved by the uncanny timing of being called away to the Underdark. But that hurt and anger was not her whole, not even the majority, if she was being truly honest with herself.

"I can't promise that."

"Strix - "

"I can't promise I won't hesitate!" Quickly glancing around, she sighed in relief as Diath and Evelyn remained oblivious to the conversation despite her raised voice. She continued on, trying desperately to keep her voice low. "I've told you before - I want to keep this family safe, and that includes you, Paultin. You're my family too. You might be a selfish, greedy bastard with the attention span of a small child, but you're our selfish, greedy bastard. I will always want to save you if it's an option."

Strix paused, averting her gaze as she again began wringing her hands. He was watching her with an intensity she wasn't used to feeling from him, an unreadable expression on his pale face. But finally she forced her head back up, her milky white eyes shining with conviction.

"But there is one thing I can promise, and that is that I won't let you hurt them. Ever. If it comes to that - if you're threatening them - I'll do whatever it takes to stop you, even if I have to throw a hundred fireballs at you. That I promise you."

They both sat still for a moment, eyes locked, until at last Paultin pushed himself back to lean into his seat, his gaze wandering to the ceiling, his intensity slipping away.

"Hn."

A grunt. A grunt? That was the only response he could deign to bestow upon her after saying all that? Strix's knuckles grew white as she ferociously gripped her robes, staring daggers at the listless bard across from her. No. No fireballs. They needed the carriage. She opened her mouth, a barrage of curses at the ready when Paultin's nonchalant voice rang out instead.

"So how did Diath react to the whole 'ice clone pretending to charge at him with the Sunsword' thing? Was his face hilarious? I bet it was hilarious."

Blinking in confusion, Strix slowly dug through her memories until she realized what Paultin was referring to, and took a deep breath. That damned selfish, son of a -

"No, Paultin! It was not 'hilarious'! That stupid clone nearly gave both him and Evelyn heart attacks! ...can constructs even have heart attacks? I - I don't - I don't know! Whatever! Don't you even think about trying something like that again! You hear me, you - you - !"

Strix's diatribe broke off as she realized that her ranting and yelling had finally awoken the rest of their party. They both looked a bit disoriented at the rude awakening, Diath fumbling around for one of his daggers in alarm. Whipping her head back to direct a burning glare at Paultin for provoking her, she noticed something peculiar. Something she hadn't seen in... damn it, how long had it been!?

The barest hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Paultin's mouth. It wasn't vindictive or brimming with madness; it simply held a vague sense of amusement, like a child first discovering an adult's aversion to the word "poop".

He looked back at her calmly. "No promises."

The old, casual response was equal parts comforting and infuriating.

"What - what's goin' on? You two ok?"

Strix whirled on the innocent figure beside her. "No, Evelyn, I am not ok! I hate this place! It's dead and depressing and makes everyone barmy!"

Valiant attempts were made to quell her tirade by her now very much awake and confused companions, but none succeeded. All of the "calm downs" and "what happeneds" only made her more upset as that smug bastard who was the cause of everthing just sat there not paying any attention as he strummed away on his... on his mandolin...

Even the sounds of the carriage trundling along seemed to disappear as the quiet music drifted throughout the cabin. It wasn't his usual jaunty tune, meant to incite merriment and distract from the harshness of life, but rather a soft, calming melody, and as Strix studied him closer, she could see his hands shaking ever so slightly, the look on his face one of solemn concentration. Whether it was from a lack of playing the instrument or something deeper she would probably never know.

Paultin continued to play. Diath relaxed. Evelyn smiled. Simon watched the bard's hands, entranced. And Strix simply listened quietly, wishing vaguely that he had chosen the bagpipes instead. She'd always liked those.

Just another Tuesday.

A/N: As always, critics and grammar police are appreciated!

[thednddude-blog]

Curse Of Strahd So Far

Hello all,I wanted to give a little background information on my character in curse of strahd because i find his motivations interesting and his journey so far has been riddled with quite a lot.

De’ath Caliber or De’ath for short was an ordinary human in a world of fae,elves and magic,he could never quite understand all the mysterious of magic and was amazed with anything exotic and foreign,he is a noble of his house,right under his father in the line to succeed,the Caliber family is know for the exceptional quality of the paladin bloodline they produce,every man and women who shows promise is anointed into the lords alliance,but with the oath of devotion,due to the belief stemming from the consistent wars that have ravaged the lands,all paladins are Pacifists.

now death was never the aggressive one but he was strong willed in what he wanted to do,he was never given access to the outside of the ivory towers until his training was complete,during one night at the age of 14 he snuck out to see what life was like among the rest of the world,being the sheltered boy he was he had never seen an elf or a dwarf of any type of race other then his own,while slinking through the streets he bumped into a body they smelled awfully like rotten fish,an orphan with ebony skin and blue eyes,growling yet low ready for a strike at any opportunity.

Being the only one in his household that didn’t really understand the value of money or the need to hoard it,he gave his entire allowance to this boy,and said to him “you can use the money however you see fit i don’t really need it any way,but i suggest you hit the waters the city guard will tan your hide if they catch you with that kinda gold,its a gift from Pelor,i can see your smile shining like him. 

As I walked away from the encounter quite shaken at how my father said the peasants were well off and that there were no problems in his kingdom a man approached me,he was gangly no meat on his bones maybe 27 a beard and red skin with rams horns circling his ears with a black pipe hanging from his teeth.

“Boy do you have any idea how much you have changed things?,that 20 gold can change a mans life for good?,its nice to see some of these nobles don’t all have spoiled brats,but you gotta be careful kid not everyone takes kindly to generosity seeing how its not something that’s often given down here in the slums,people are dying while the king sits fat and happy,employing his knights to take taxes and rob us of everything,sure the paladins don’t beat us but they more then make up for it with there arrogance and corruption,you gotta change things lad,you see it first hand here,you could have taken one wrong step and been gutted for being a silver spoon,my advice kid if your coming back,don’t wear the same clothes,but keep this on you it fits your look plus i bet it’d piss your daddy off that you got a bad habit already”. The man in the red hood places a pipe in my hands with a thick bag of assorted greens,and as i turn around to thank him,he vanishes.

i begin to walk home the rain is biting a bit into my silks as they drag lazily behind me,my eyes scan over the crowds here so many kind people unable to make ends meet while i eat roasted owlbear,it makes my mouth go dry in anger,and through that anger i begin walking a little too quickly into a women with green hair and curved ears,the most exotic creature an elf of the wilds,so clever but naive,i said my apologizes and went on my way,but she followed me,she had never seen a human before we weren't exactly a common site down here,with a bit of chatting i had made my first friend,and spent my first night in jail,as a chain-mail clad arm gripped me and threw me into a room,I had been accused of the theft of a heirloom a black pipe had been seen given to me an ally way,and the integrating with the subhumans is forbidden,my lips curled into a snarl and i spoke out,”you daft bastard do you have any idea who I am?,i am the prince of this Providence my father is lord high-tower,if you don’t want to loose your job or an arm you will drop me off at the gates and speak no more of this,in my honest though you are the scum,also pushing these children around and mocking them and stealing there coin,when my father hears about this you are dead”.

Instead,i was mocked by him in public,and forced quicker into the roles of a paladin,my backside was still sore from the branches,and my ego still hurt from the obvious lack of heart my father had to the commoners,it was all true every last bit,i held my tongue and carried my hatred,until the day of the ceremony.

My final chance was to marry a noble to unify the lower-class and high-class in secret i had chosen the quick and hot burning love of an elf,she had noble blood and her father was an amazing man,one who inspired me and taught me actual martial combat,my father didn’t agree with my choice,a dual was made between him and I,he believing that I was a weak and scrawny lad of 18,unfortunately for him he was over confident,he didn’t see under the leathers and chain of the common folk made armor,but i was a man now,with a body made of muscle and steel,a quick backhand and a laugh was all he could say he had on me,the pommel of his sword still hurt but the lack of eyes he had afterward were enough,I had blinded the old fool,and i deemed him unfit to rule.

Unfortunately not everyone agreed with me,those who held fast to my beliefs were executed including my bride to be,i was exiled into the world as a vagabond,after some time i had met up with the boy who smelled of fish,Trout who was doing much better then the last 4 years i saw him in,was a guild-member,it wasn't hard to guess his profession,with no-were else to go we hopped bars and brothels trying to find a home for an outcast and a thief,my comfort levels were always pushed beyond the limits,I hated whore houses, no women could compare to her,i had to find a way to bring her back and atone for my sins,a bawdy bard of dark elven nature took a fancy to our tale and joined us,we became the fastest of friends,slayers of goblin and kobold alike,but what we didn't know is around the corner there would be something that wouldn't fall as quickly as the green skins a force that couldn't be reckoned with,we met him after the damned vistani told us of the problems they had,and me being the fool I was couldn’t say no.

we went into that house of death,but something in me changed,i had killed for the first time,a Grick had latched itself onto my dear friend Trout,and i couldn't let it end him,the scriptures say that your fist time smiting is a godly affair,as per the same with using lay on hands to heal the wounds of another,I only saw a broken man on the floor and a dead creature,

I learned that day that there is absolute evil,you cant rationalize with it,the sins of the undead out weigh my own,i will have no oath,i will bend evil to my will and use them to keep the innocent safe and one day i can bring her back just the same as she always was,ill kill the limiter that is death,and ill cleanse Barovia of the taint of Strahd,one dead body at a time.

And that is the story of how i hit level 3,but there is much more to this tale and all will be revealed in due time.

[athenaltena]

So highlights from last night’s campaign (under a read more because it’s long)

We came across an overturned fruit cart and several dead bodies that showed signs of a werewolf attack. Our Ranger then got even more silent and broody than usual after finding a tuft of red fur and took off after them on his own for Unspecified Backstory Reasons and told us to meet him in the town of Vallaki. (The out of game reason was his player couldn’t make it that night) We made a makeshift funeral pyre out of the smashed cart for the bodies and continued to the camp so we wouldn’t be caught outside at nightfall in case the werewolves were still around.

We then found a group of Vistani walking along the road and one of them in particular, a heavily tattooed lady, starting hardcore hitting on the two male members of the party, who are, respectively, a Dragonborn Fighter and Tiefling Wizard. Both were somewhat perplexed as that’s not the usual reaction our two non-humans get in Barovia. We then joined them on the way back to the Vistani camp and carousing ensued, during which my Human Cleric Ireena got completely and utterly wasted because all her experiences with alcohol have been at formal dinners and the like, and it turns out she’s actually a bit of a lush so she remained drunk the entire rest of the evening. Considering all the bullshit she’s had to deal with lately including her father dying, her brother getting kidnapped and the various mishaps so far in the game we decided she deserved to have a little fun and let loose. Also during this the Tiefling Wizard had the bandage on his hand slip a bit and reveal that part of his hand is basically rotting away. He quickly covered this but not before a few people noticed. The tattooed lady continued hitting hardcore on the two males but both smelled trouble and weren’t interested. We then asked about Madame Eva, who we were traveling to see because we heard she could tell fortunes, and were led to meet her in her tent.

While we were there she told us various things about ourselves, such as our Bard finally admitting she was actually a half-Elf, half-Vistani (something we had already figured out a while ago but didn’t say to respect her privacy) and has some burgeoning powers of The Sight. Tiefling Wizard admitted he had ended up with his rotting hand when a necromantic ritual of some sort went wrong so he’s looking for another Wizard who might be able to help it. Yours truly then drunkenly tried to hug him while sobbing about how she was so sorry he’s going through that etc. etc., and then got a warning from Madame Eva about how she must guard that weakness in her heart but embracing it is also the key for defeating Sir Douchebag (aka Strahd) since it’s his weakness as well but her friends must act fast in that moment. The Dragonborn Fighter also got hints that he needs to look for the resting place of his fallen ancestor to exact true vengeance. She then did a Tarot card reading showing us where the key items and people we need to accomplish our quest are. And remarkably considering how drunk she was my Cleric asked about the previous group of adventurers who came through (aka our previous player characters) and whose ghosts we saw in the Parade of the Damned, specifically the Cleric of that group who was not among them. Madame Eva confirmed he’s alive but that some darkness in his family led him astray and resulted in the deaths of the party. We had already guessed he wasn’t doing well after that but that simply confirmed it.

Once all this was done the Dragonborn Fighter decided he wanted to see what was up with this tattooed chick who was obviously trying to get something from the two males and had been trying to get them to drink more all night so he pretended to be much drunker than he was and rolled a crit on his Performance check which she bought hook line and sinker. Which then led to the DM declaring “Roll for Sex” and both of them going off for sexytimes. A little bit of Dragon Fire coming out of a tent may have been observed and there was apparent use of his forked tongue. I’m so glad we don’t have any kids in this group.

Later that night the Bard was awoken by a series of disturbing prophetic nightmares that probably have to do with our quests and heard a rustling noise outside, and upon investigating it observed the tattooed woman sneaking away from the Tiefling Wizard’s tent. Using an Invisibility spell she proceeded to followed her and saw she had a lock of hair in her hand that she must have snipped off him while he was asleep. As she was about to mount a horse she attempted a Hold Person on her but the woman barely made the save and galloped off into the night. Waking everyone it was then discovered that in addition to the hair she had also taken a few scales from the Dragonborn during their rendezvous, no doubt for nefarious purposes. (When asked why he went along with what was obviously a trap, the Dragonborn’s player said he planned on interrogating her about her intentions in the morning, but that didn’t work since she ran off before then) We found out she belongs to another group of Vistani who have had disagreements with the main one and most likely was heading for their camp near Vallaki, where we were told to meet up with our Ranger anyway. So we decided so start that way, and in the process got far closer to Castle Ravenloft than we would have liked and ran across a random skeletal rider who didn’t engage us but instead just rode off. Because Barovia.

We also came across the windmill that we now technically own as we now have the deed to it, having found it in the Durst house, but given the warnings we’ve heard about the place and the presence of a scream coming from it we decided not to deal with it right now since we were down one person. (Side note that I out-of-character know there are three Hags living in there because we went there in our last campaign and got chased out of it the first time, but Ireena doesn’t know that and just has a general Bad Feeling about it) We did find a top in the mud near the windmill with the name of the maker Blinsky on it and decided to check it out in the town.

We also discovered tracks going off the trail and were eventually led to a tree where we found a neatly folded pile of women’s clothes was placed in a hole in the tree and raven feathers on the ground. The Bard wanted to take the clothes but I convinced her that ravens are good in this universe and the last thing we want is a pissed off, naked were-raven. With some reluctance she left them behind but with a note saying that we want to be friends. This had ramifications later.

And because this is D&D it was time for a random encounter on the road since we hadn’t fought anything yet! It was an old crazy Druid who looked kind of like Radagast the Brown and proceeded to attack us with Twigblights. Some liberal application of Burning Hands later and we were clear of that and almost at Vallaki when half a dozen werewolves suddenly bore down on us just as we were approaching the gates along with our Ranger, who was running towards us accompanied by a flock of ravens, who proceeded to attack the werewolves and give us some precious time to get the two guards to open the gates. Our first persuasion attempt failed but then I came up and yelled at them in the name of my father, Kolyan Indirovich, Burgonmeister of Barovia, to open this gate! And they did. I plan to chew out the Baron once we talk to him for that, especially since I need to update him on what happened to my father since I haven’t seen him since then. We then saw a raven with coloring similar to the clothing we found in the tree and I blew it a kiss.

Inside the village we found a strange little old man and a monkey entertaining people and realized it was Blinsky, the same man who made the top we found, and after he was done performing we asked him about it and he told us it had been bought by a young boy in town, which we will investigate later. Inside there was also a doll with a striking resemblance to yours truly (which I think gave me one of the better one-liners of the night when I described it as a “Barovian Girl Doll”), and while he at first attempted to hide it from us a good Persuasion roll had him admit there is a man in town with a “demon hand” who had commissioned him to make it. Make that yet another person with an obsession with Ireena. Great.

Lots of Plot this week and I can’t wait for next Wednesday!

[dndeviants]

A little situation

Ruki had seen strange images in her mind when she conducted her investigation onto the attack of the Burgomaster, and had her own suspicions of what actually happened at the Burgomaster’s mansion. She stepped out to the misty streets, heading forward with great purpose. She gathered the mists around herself as she walked and thought of Castle Ravenloft, the home she had known for ten years.

She let the mist carry her there, to the walls of Castle Ravenloft. Its walls that were tall and ominous to every other observer felt more like home to her. It served as great protection from the many threats that inhabited the land. She took the time to observe the subtle changes that had happened when she and Madame Eva had rewrote Fate...

The castle courtyard was no longer stained brown with the blood of the many rebels... but more overgrown. The walls seemed more pristine... no longer crumbling with the effects of great magic hurled at them, however magic still had damaged them.

She entered the castle. The halls were lit with the usual red candles, the cobwebs were more well managed, and the gargoyles sat, ready to defend, but gave Ruki a stony nod as she made her way into the halls. 

Ruki heard giggling and various scuttling noises from the darkness as she walked through the halls. She paused in her steps as he was approached by familiar faces.

A woman in a bright blue gown and blond hair, and young features walked leisurely down the wall from the ceiling and stoppedin front of Ruki. This was Volenta, one of Strahd’s consorts.

Volenta purred, "My, my... back so soon, love?"

Ludmilla emerged from the shadows, her dark, swarthy skin made excellent camouflage, but she preferred to wear vibrant colors. Today was a day for red, it seemed. She spoke in a husky voice, "We were certain your quest would take longer."

Ana appeared behind Ludmilla, her reddish brown hair picked up the color of Ludmilla’s dress. Ana took time to delicately adjust a portrait, "Yes... we were certain it would take a month or so... are there really so special of guests in Barovia, now?"

Strahd’s final consort, a blonde man named Escher leaned against the column, "Or perhaps not so special as much as an 'amusing diversion' for our lord... which is it, Ruki?"

Ruki glared slightly at Escher, offended by his comments of diversion. “They possess skills that help them help our Lord,” she affirmed.

Escher smiled, "Ah of course. How could I ever have doubted you?"

“ As for my return,” Ruki continued, “as long as I have the mists, I may return at my will. But I come presently with dire news for our Lord.”

Escher suddenly became serious, "Then I will delay you no further, except to say welcome home, Ruki."

Escher bowed as she made her way to Strahd’s study, following the ancient corridor to a flight of stairs that she briskly walked up. She ignored the state of his private dining room, and entered into the study. The one place in the castle that Strahd made a great effort to maintain.

She saw Strahd stand as himself, having removed the magical enchantments that made him seem more human, and removed himself from the subservient persona of Vasili. He stood tall, cloaked in his formal wear, frowning into the fire. The light of the fire accentuated the harsh, non-human features of his face, and his nose appeared more bat-like then human. Ruki could tell that he had not been taking care of himself, as his appearance returned closer to humanity the more well-fed he was.

Strahd glanced upward at the portrait of Tatayana, before acknowledging Ruki’s presence. "So it seems we have trouble already," he muttered.

“Indeed. It seems the Dark Ones wish to thwart you once more,” Ruki fully entered the room. 

Strahd made a brushing gesture with his arm,  "So long as I try to escape, they will try to thwart me. It won't be long before I escape... no prison is without its flaws... and I am so close to finding this one's flaws..." he walked over to the desk and briefly glanced over his files of magical study.

"The newcomers may be that flaw for us,” Ruki offered. 

She watched Strahd nod at her, and made her way to the crystal ball on Strahd’s desk, gesturing for him to sit. Strahd warily eyed the ball, but acquiesced to Ruki’s request. He sat at the desk on the other side of the crystal.

Ruki placed her hands on the sides of the ball, “Come see the events that transpired at the Burgomaster's mansion.”

Strahd steepled his fingers and focused his attention on the ball, "Yes, I would like to see what happened."

Ruki projected the visions of what she saw into the crystal ball. She showed Strahd the wolves barging in, the Burgomaster’s heart attack, the shadowy creature in the house... then Ireena’s point of view, the strange and ominous distortion..

Strahd blinked a few times and furrowed his brow, "So... there is a Guardian on the loose... and it seems that... Tatayana- Ireena is being used..." he looks to Ruki, "You must understand, I meant the girl no harm! I was trying to save her..."

Ruki nodded. She understood that from his point of view, turning her was the only way to save her from her continuously horrific deaths, “Indeed, Ireena is a puppet of the Dark Ones.If she truly is Tatayana's soul reborn, then she was reborn within the Mists' realm. Therefore she is an obstacle.”

It would be difficult for Strahd to give up on his obsessions. But he had done it before... She watched as Strahd thought to himself. He closed his eyes and began to relent, much to her surprise.

"You are right..” he spoke quietly, “If escape is the primary goal... then anything having to do with Tatayana will be an obstacle... as much as I don't like it... I will have to let this go, or else the Dark Ones will find another way to kill her again... If we can escape... then we can find a way to bring her too."

It was the best she could hope for, for now, “Indeed.We will find a way my lord,” she reassured him.

He nodded, satisfied, "Yes... then the next step will be building rapport with our guests... a difficult task already with my popularity not being... well, I'm not popular with the people right now, frankly," Strahd pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "I suppose... I shall have to allow Ireena to be cured of her wounds."

Ruki pulled out her tarokka deck, feeling the Sight beckon to her, “We will need a starting point for our plan.”

Strahd cleared a space on the table for her deck, and watched Ruki’s movements like a hawk anticipating the movement of a rabbit. She drew five cards and placed them on the table where he could see. They were the Evoker, Dictator, Transmuter, Charlatan, and the Bishop.

“The cards start with the telling of your past and your rule over Barovia...” Ruki explained, “You have unleashed powers beyond your control in order to achieve everything you desired. Now is the time to alter your fate by adjusting the way you rule over your land.However, an enemy lies in wait to attack your image at your every movement. You must find a way to restore the people's faith.”

Strahd huffed at the statement, and Ruki gave him a crooked smile, “The cards want to remind you of your blunders.”

"I know my mistakes...” Strahd affirmed, “but... restore faith? How am I supposed to do that? The only thing Barovians have ever had since I've known them is fear... There are few that have true faith in anything, whether is a king or gods... Barovians are hopeless people."

He rubbed his eyes, "Can the cards tell me what role these strangers will have in this?"

Ruki nodded and drew the Broken One, Warrior, and Diviner. Strahd examined the images on the cards and waited for Ruki’s interpretation.

“The Broken One...” she focused on the cards, “You will have to help them in order from them to help you.The Warrior is a capable aide that will in turn help you while seeking to achieve their own goal.The Diviner...” she paused and looked at Strahd.

Strahd raised a brow at Ruki, "Ah, and does this refer to you?"

“A very powerful Diviner will be at your side...“ she responded, cryptically. She chuckled and drew a new card.

Strahd observed the new card drawn: The Berserker. He looked at the grotesque faces of the beheaded men in the image. “Lovely...” he spoke dryly. "So... I will have to help them with their goals in order for them to help me, but what is this new card?"

“You wish to know more of the Berserker?” she asked.

Strahd nodded stoically, "Indeed, I do. The image is vexing to me."

Ruki drew the Seer, Ghost, and Thief, and laid the images out for him to see, “As I have said, it is a powerful Seer at your aid. They have great connections to the ancestors. However, their aid is not without a price.”

Strahd quirks a brow at his chosen daughter, "And what is the price that must be paid, I wonder?" he quipped sarcastically, "Is it whatever is left of my damned soul?"

Ruki thought on the notion of price, and kept the true meaning to herself. He had no need to know of the time she came from, “I'm afraid the cards will not inform us of that,” she spoke in a manner denoting finality.

Strahd chuckled, knowing he would get no more from her, "Of course..." he leaned back in his seat and hummed to himself. He spoke with an uncharacteristic optimistic tone, "However... I do like our prospects, despite this setback."

Strahd indicated the cards on the table, "Nothing immediately tragic or heart-wrenching came up, so we must be on the right track, hm?" he stood and gathered a few scrolls, "Now... I suppose I should figure out exactly what to do with those strangers... probably investigate their needs and do research on what I can do to help... There was Linda and her apprentice that was kidnapped..."

Strahd paused, "What do you think of her, by the way? We discussed her uncanny similarities... it is probably just coincidence... but I am still intrigued. She is quite charming..."

Strahd thought for a moment, then remembered her bluntness and attitude at the table. He made an amendment to his statement, "At least physically charming. Her manner leaves something to be desired."

Ruki wordlessly shuffled her deck again.

Strahd paused and looked back at Ruki, "Hm? Oh, I was just asking you... but if the cards have something else to say... I'll listen."

"Apologies my Lord. I was merely collecting the cards back,” she looked at Tatayana’s portrait and nodded, “There is an uncanny resemblance between the two. However, observing your behavior around them both, your intrigue is much great greater in Lady Linda.”

Why would it not be? In the time Ruki came from, Linda and Strahd had shared interest in each other, and had developed something of a relationship between them, despite their differences. Strahd had even gone so far as to try to make her his bride, forgetting about Ireena completely. Linda may have been the key to helping Strahd overcome the draw of Tatayana... but then again, he may have only exchanged one cursed obsession for another. Ruki’s goal here was to steer him on a path to free himself and end his curse...

But that was not a guarantee.

Strahd tilted his head at Ruki, surprised to hear her statement, "Is that so? Hm...” he thought for a moment, and then made a dismissive gesture, “Probably because she vexes me. There is something there I can't quite put my finger on... Something not quite at the edge of my memory... ah well."

“She is also from outside the mists' realm. Meaning she is not yet a puppet of the Dark Ones,” She put her cards in their silk bag.

"That is true,” he agreed, “And there was the other one that did not join us... that fire genasi fellow...” Strahd’s bat-like nostrils flared, “I could smell that he was undergoing a transformation... I don't quite think he made it through the mists unscathed. But... that is more concern for him than me. I've dealt with many werecreatures... I don't think he will prove troublesome. I just need to see what he is after here..."

Strahd laid scrolls on the table and mused, "Mutually beneficial partnerships..." he paused, "I suppose we can continue with the front of searching for an heir... or continue searching in earnest. At least while we try to figure out how to restore the faith of the people."

Ruki was quiet, “Indeed, my lord.“

"Your thoughts?" he looked over to Ruki.

“May I suggest Father Donavich?” she offered.

Strahd quirked a brow, "The priest in Barovia Village? I don't think he's been able to hold a mass since last year... but I suppose it would be worth investigating... But if so, I shall have to make preparations... Vasili should have no trouble entering holy grounds... or being about in the day..." He opened his spellbook and began to study its contents, searching for the right ones to prepare.

“As one of the few remaining priest of faith, he may an excellent start,” she rose from her seat.

"Then Father Petrovich of Vallaki... I want nothing to do with the Abbot..." Strahd paused, "I suppose I shall have to retire early, damn it. I need to rest before I attempt to walk in the day... and prepare my spell to protect me from holy auras..."

“Very well, my lord. I bid you fare well,” Ruki leaned against her staff.

Strahd wrapped his cloak around him, and yawned, allowing his fangs to lengthen. He looked over to Ruki, “Mind you,” he said, “I’m not tired... but I am trying to convince myself that I need rest. You are more than welcome to sleep in the bedchambers back there, or in the guest room, your room. I care not. I will retire to the crypts..." 

Strahd collapsed into mist and  made his way slowly into the the wall, following the secret passageway that would lead him to his crypt. Ruki was alone in the room. She packed her things, and secured her tarokka cards to her belt, leaving the study the way she came. She decided to rejoin her friends, Strahd’s consorts, in the dining hall.

She saw them laughing and chatting among themselves, while dining on human blood. Ludmilla was the first to notice her presence. 

"Business is over Ruki...” Ludmilla smiled, bearing her fangs, “so you join us for pleasure?"

“Now, now, Ludmilla. It is always a pleasure with you,“ Ruki smiled.

Ana walked over to Ludmilla and sighed, "She is growing up too fast... you have to let me paint your portrait one day, Ruki."

“Anastrasya, you have my permission. I shall inform you at my leisure,” Ruki nodded.

Volenta twirled at her curly locks, "So... what was this... business with Lord Strahd? About the guests?"

Escher tapped the edge of his glass, "Is he not joining us tonight?"

“He wishes to rest,” Ruki replied.

Escher blinked, "Him? Rest?"

Ludmila laughed, "I thought I'd never see the night he wasn't up to something."

Anastrasya thought for a moment, and nodded, "It can only mean he intends to daywalk,” she looked over to Ruki, “Those guests must be high maintenance."

"More high maintenance than Escher?" Volenta joked.

Escher balked,  "I am not high maintenance, I just have refined tastes!"

“That is not considered high maintenance?” asked Ruki, innocently.

All of the other consorts laughed at Escher’s expense. He flipped his hair and looked at his companions indignantly. 

Ruki smirked, “Touche, Escher?”

 "Touche indeed. I've been wounded. My pride..." Escher put a hand over his chest dramatically.

"Shall I tend to wound with one of my songs?” Ruki gestured to her ocarina with a devilish smile.

Escher raised a brow, then nodded, "Yes, play for us, Ruki."

"Oh yes, please do! I love music!" Volenta could hardly contain her excitement.

“ Anything for you dear Volenta...” Ruki took her ocarina from her side, and played an enchanting piece with her fingers gliding over the ocarina with such ease, that it seems like they hardly touch the instrument.

The consorts all paused in their activities and silenced themselves to listen to Ruki’s melody. Volenta closed her eyes and smiled, as Escher nodded along to the beat of the music, the melody ringing throughout the dining hall. Strahd did have it built for music to be played, after all. His own organ was built into the room, and was a fixture as much as an instrument along the back wall. Ludmilla tapped her feet lightly. Ana rested her head on Ludmilla’s hand. Everyone seemed to relax, the vampires’ usually savage mannerisms were calmed for the time being.

 "I enjoyed music when I was alive.” Volenta spoke softly, “I still do... but... something in you changes when you turn undead. It's not quite the same... lovely nonetheless."

Escher responded, "I'd have to agree with you there, but music has never been my strong point... my forte, as it were..." he chuckled at his own pun.

Ruki shot him a glare while still playing her piece. He winked at Ruki, and the consorts collectively groaned at the man.

Ludmilla sighed, "It is lovely still. I understand what Volenta means... it is like your senses have enhanced to the point that things that gave you great pleasure have heightened to the point of being... overwhelming. Over indulgent. It can be maddening at times... especially if you are alone. Gladly, we have each other, and lord Strahd."

Ana nodded, “Could you imagine? If that hunter had been successful? If Van Richten and the Mage had managed to thwart Strahd? And find our crypts before sundown?"

Ludmilla spoke sharply, "I don't want to think about it. The point is that we are all still here, and that the doddering old fool was leading a lost cause."

Volenta looked over to Ana and Ludmilla, "I don't think anyone could do anything to us. Castle Ravenloft is too well protected. And we have Ruki looking out for us too."

Escher raised  a glass of blood in a toast, as Ruki concluded her piece, "Here, here,” he proclaimed, “To Ruki, and to everlasting undeath."