Ravenloft Game Log - Session 10
My apologies if I missed some stuff in this game session summary! Much of the time was spent with one or two players doing stuff while the rest of the players planned and discussed the situation. Despite this, there was much plot...
Although the party slept peacefully, the night was far from uneventful. As soon as prayers and spells have been prepared, there is a banging on the church door where they find Mad Mary. Out of breath, she tells the players that the Burgomeister's residence is on fire! They rush to aid, feeling their way through the nearly inpenatrable mist that has arisen during the night. Once there, they see a body in the center of the courtyard, the house aflame, and the villagers milling about in front of the gates. Apparently, approaching the building triggers terrible pain. Zidara is able to identify and dispel a powerful necromancy before it affects any of the party. They then go to work, rescuing the panicked horses from the stables, keeping the fire from spreading, and investigating the body. It proves to be Ismark, barely alive, seriously injured with broken bones, and with an arcane symbol carved into his forehead. Concerned that Ireena may still be inside, Heironymus braves the flames to get to her room. There are signs of a fight here, and the door is ripped off its hinges. Seeing no sign of Ireena, Heironymus dives out the back window to escape the fire.
Eventually, the party reconvenes at the tavern, where the elders have brought the few surviving servants who apparently fled the house before the fire began. The chambermaid speaks of having been awoken in the night by the sounds of fighting, hearing Ismark's voice and that of another man. This other voice so frightened her that she fled into the night to her relatives. In the meantime, Zidara has healed Ismark of his broken ribs and broken jaw, although he has many other injuries, and he regains consciousness. When asked who attacked him, he reveals "The Count." He tells the party that the Count came looking for Ireena. When he did not find her, he attacked Ismark, enraged, and tortured him with spells. His strength was that of a madman and Ismark blacked out after suffering many injuries. At this point, the party notices that the villagers, as soon as talk of the Count began, have slowly left the tavern without comment...
A Vishtani then arrives with a message for Niccolo. He and Yves-Michel head to the Vishtani encampment, while the rest of the party goes back to the church to discuss what they have discovered. At the church, Rikhard tells them something of the Count's reputation in Barovia, and reveals that the Count is a terrible force of evil, if not the Devil himself. While some are skeptical of this statement, Heironymus vows to Rikhard that he will not leave Barovia until the Count is destroyed. The party then discusses how they might find Ireena and what to do with their dwarven prisoner.
In the meantime, Niccolo and Yves-Michel arrive at the Vishtani camp. One of the Vishtani reads a scroll and possibly dispels a divination magic upon them. Niccolo goes to speak with Madam Eva while Yves-Michel loses some money gambling with the scroll-reader. The camp is otherwise eerily quiet. Niccolo makes an agreement with Madam Eva and, in disguise, makes his way to Lysaga Hill. There he discovers a woman who may or may not be a witch. She guards Ireena, who is unconscious and placed inside the magic circle beneath the hill. Niccolo asks her to guard for a few hours longer while he goes to speak with the rest of the group.
When Niccolo arrives, he is cagey in explaining what has happened, for fear of spies. The group decides to go with him, but the prisoner must be dealt with first. Thorne disguises himself with magic as the Count, guessing that this may be the dwarf's true "master." Using a feather fall spell to descend into the basement of the church, he convinces the dwarf who reveals that he can understand Celestial and has been listening in on the parties' plans. When asked by "the Count" what the party has taken, and pressed on the subject of a broken weapon, the dwarf makes an unexpected confession! He says that he tried to destroy "it" but could not, and begs the Count for forgiveness. Thorne orders the dwarf to remain with the party to spy on them. He then takes his normal form, indicating that "the Count" will infiltrate the party as well. Leaving Ismark in the church, the group sets out for Lysaga Hill.
Although the party slept peacefully, the night was far from uneventful. As soon as prayers and spells have been prepared, there is a banging on the church door where they find Mad Mary. Out of breath, she tells the players that the Burgomeister's residence is on fire! They rush to aid, feeling their way through the nearly inpenatrable mist that has arisen during the night. Once there, they see a body in the center of the courtyard, the house aflame, and the villagers milling about in front of the gates. Apparently, approaching the building triggers terrible pain. Zidara is able to identify and dispel a powerful necromancy before it affects any of the party. They then go to work, rescuing the panicked horses from the stables, keeping the fire from spreading, and investigating the body. It proves to be Ismark, barely alive, seriously injured with broken bones, and with an arcane symbol carved into his forehead. Concerned that Ireena may still be inside, Heironymus braves the flames to get to her room. There are signs of a fight here, and the door is ripped off its hinges. Seeing no sign of Ireena, Heironymus dives out the back window to escape the fire.
Eventually, the party reconvenes at the tavern, where the elders have brought the few surviving servants who apparently fled the house before the fire began. The chambermaid speaks of having been awoken in the night by the sounds of fighting, hearing Ismark's voice and that of another man. This other voice so frightened her that she fled into the night to her relatives. In the meantime, Zidara has healed Ismark of his broken ribs and broken jaw, although he has many other injuries, and he regains consciousness. When asked who attacked him, he reveals "The Count." He tells the party that the Count came looking for Ireena. When he did not find her, he attacked Ismark, enraged, and tortured him with spells. His strength was that of a madman and Ismark blacked out after suffering many injuries. At this point, the party notices that the villagers, as soon as talk of the Count began, have slowly left the tavern without comment...
A Vishtani then arrives with a message for Niccolo. He and Yves-Michel head to the Vishtani encampment, while the rest of the party goes back to the church to discuss what they have discovered. At the church, Rikhard tells them something of the Count's reputation in Barovia, and reveals that the Count is a terrible force of evil, if not the Devil himself. While some are skeptical of this statement, Heironymus vows to Rikhard that he will not leave Barovia until the Count is destroyed. The party then discusses how they might find Ireena and what to do with their dwarven prisoner.
In the meantime, Niccolo and Yves-Michel arrive at the Vishtani camp. One of the Vishtani reads a scroll and possibly dispels a divination magic upon them. Niccolo goes to speak with Madam Eva while Yves-Michel loses some money gambling with the scroll-reader. The camp is otherwise eerily quiet. Niccolo makes an agreement with Madam Eva and, in disguise, makes his way to Lysaga Hill. There he discovers a woman who may or may not be a witch. She guards Ireena, who is unconscious and placed inside the magic circle beneath the hill. Niccolo asks her to guard for a few hours longer while he goes to speak with the rest of the group.
When Niccolo arrives, he is cagey in explaining what has happened, for fear of spies. The group decides to go with him, but the prisoner must be dealt with first. Thorne disguises himself with magic as the Count, guessing that this may be the dwarf's true "master." Using a feather fall spell to descend into the basement of the church, he convinces the dwarf who reveals that he can understand Celestial and has been listening in on the parties' plans. When asked by "the Count" what the party has taken, and pressed on the subject of a broken weapon, the dwarf makes an unexpected confession! He says that he tried to destroy "it" but could not, and begs the Count for forgiveness. Thorne orders the dwarf to remain with the party to spy on them. He then takes his normal form, indicating that "the Count" will infiltrate the party as well. Leaving Ismark in the church, the group sets out for Lysaga Hill.