Somewhat of an Anticlimax

It's a bit on the late side, but Sideshow has been tabled indefinitely due to my family and I moving across the country. As much as I enjoyed running the game, my new job pays more than DMing does.

Of course, now I'm surrounded by gamers. I might revive the campaign from scratch, using my co-workers as fodder for Strahd. We'll have to see how things turn out.

In the meantime, good gaming!

Session #5: Grave-Stompin'

We gathered yesterday for the second consecutive week to continue our Ravenloft campaign. Reason being, Adam is moving next weekend, and won't be available. It looked like we'd have a full party, but Murphy had his say: Jeff, who was going to be late, was unable to show up due to familial obligations.

My original thought was that the group would head back into town, tell the townsfolk the good news, and then pay the Mayor's house a visit. Not so! As is all too common, they decided to explore the cemetery, instead.

No problem, right?

Since Drezz's player wasn't around, the half-orc stayed in the creepy old church to keep an eye on Danovich's unconscious body while the remaining crew explored the cemetery for clues. After fanning out and failing a slew of Spot checks, they were ambushed by seven ghouls (which actually turned out to be ghasts). This encounter was ad-hoc -- it's not a part of the module. I'd planned on a similar encounter to take place as the PCs made their way back to the center of town. Since they decided to go to the cemetery instead, I threw it in there. I think it worked better that way.

One of the ghasts turned out to be the one that had spit in Vaor's eye last session, before taking to his heels after his turned companions. Angry at being denied such a tasty morsel, he'd returned to the cemetery and organized a small mob of his brothers to take down the PCs. They moved into position with incredible stealth, and when the time seemed appropriate, they pounced.

Though the ghasts did a little bit of damage, they were repelled fairly easily. Jelani turned three of them, leaving a more manageable four to fight. Vaor was paralyzed again after laying some dragonbreath on one of the unfortunate beasts. Even Norm took the opportunity to engage in melee combat. It was a quick encounter which resulted in several ghasts being destroyed, including the one with an appetite for tieflings.

With the ghasts out of the picture for the moment, the party followed after the ones that Jelani had turned. The trail led to a headstone that was slightly off-center. When lifted, a hole leading to a 6' diameter tunnel was revealed. The smell of rot and decay issued up from the pit, turning stomachs and confirming suspicions that the ghasts had retreated to their lair to lick their wounds.

After some deliberation -- Benson wanted to return to town, while Vaor was planning to track down the ghasts by himself -- the entire party entered the tunnel, with Vaor taking the lead. The rough-hewn passage twisted and turned, heading downwards for several yards, before opening up into a larger chamber which was littered with body parts, coffins, and other, less wholesome, detritus.

Prior to entering the main chamber, Vaor discovered a false wall covering a small alcove where one of the ghasts was cowering. As he stepped up to tenderize the ghast with his knuckles, the rest of the party moved forward and took positions within the room. The ghast let out a shriek for help after getting a taste of Vaor's fists, which alerted the other inhabitants of the lair.

Within moments one of the coffins had opened, and a rotting creature, once a human female, emerged. Another false wall opened to the south, revealing the second ghast. Combat was joined, with Benson, Ashlyn, and Vaor on the front lines. Jelani continued her support role, and Norm prepared to cast true strike after missing an exploratory shot with his heavy crossbow. Meanwhile, the female creature, a gravetouched ghoul monk, set to giving Benson and Vaor a taste of their own medicine.

Just about then, a new threat appeared: a gravetouched ghoul harpy. Singing her captivating tune, she easily enslaved the will of 3/5ths of the party: Jelani, Ashlyn, and Norm. All three left the fight behind, moving to within striking distance of the evil creature. Benson and Vaor, left to fend for themselves against the remaining ghast and the undead monk, did well for themselves. Amy, meantime, was chanting "T.P.K." over and over.

The end came pretty quickly. The remaining ghast had been taken care of, leaving only the harpy and the monk to harass the player characters. The harpy was pretty well walled off by the bodies of her enthralled victims, making it a tough prospect for Vaor or Benson to get to her. Benson, after some quick thinking, bull-rushed into Norm, knocking him aside and taking his place. Vaor, meantime, did his monkish best to tumble past the harpy, ending up behind her and giving Benson a flanking bonus.

Well, it's probably a forgone conclusion that Benson did a slice and dice on the harpy at that point, leaving only the monk to face the PCs. Vaor and Benson returned their attention to her as the other party members came to their senses. The monk did manage to clock Benson pretty well before being laid low by a trio of magic missiles from Norm.

The group, well-worn from their encounters, searched through the cave for valuables before returning to the surface. After collecting Drezz and the unconscious Danovich, they returned to the town square. They discovered that zombies had yet again broken through the barricades while they'd been away. Just as things seemed to be at their worse, the zombies fell to the ground all at once, marking the destruction of the Blaspheme.

With the news that the zombie plague was likely over, the townsfolk cheered for the heroes. Ismark the Lesser took charge shortly afterward, directing the citizens of Barovia to get to work burying the dead and rebuilding the town. The PCs were taken to a vacant townhouse to rest, while Danovich was taken to the abandoned constabulary building and locked up.

Benson did a little reading in Danovich's journal, revealing the priest's slow descent into madness, punctuated by the death of his son, Doru. Using a fragment of the Liber Blaspheme, an evil tome of necromantic lore, the grieving Danovich had transformed his son into the creature that the party had defeated last game.

Some tidbits of knowledge in Danovich's journal indicate:

A book, known as the Tome of Strahd, may contain details that will aid in the destruction of the lord of Castle Ravenloft. Danovich had become convinced that Strahd was and evil creature that was somehow responsible for the ill fortunes of Barovia. This led to his own explorations of the castle, as well as his eventual discovery of the fragment of the Liber Blaspheme (which was his ultimate undoing).

Ireena, the Mayor's daughter, is not actually related to the Mayor. He'd found her as a young girl at the base of a cliff, below the parapets of Castle Ravenloft, and had taken her in as his own child.

Having read the journal, Benson and Jelani turned to burning the scraps of the Liber Blaspheme before retiring for the night. Early the next morning, Norm was awakened by the horrible symptoms of ghoul fever. His moans and pleas for aid attracted Benson and Jelani, who easily diagnosed his illness. Though the disease was cured by Jelani in short order, some damage had already been done, leaving Norm weakened and drained.

The game ended shortly thereafter. More to come in two weeks...

Session #4: Conflict at the Church

We picked up where we'd left off last game, with the crew hunkered down in Barovia's town square. Last session, they'd decided to venture to the village's church, as many of the townsfolk were indicating that the roots of the undead curse were there. Their secondary goal was to venture to the (deceased) mayor's home.

Only a night and morning had passed. Ashlyn kept Benson's company, and the two discussed their pasts, their experiences, and their faiths. At the same time, Gavrin was twisting Jelani's ear because she'd told Cookie to make food for the village's many refugees. Ever the businessman concerned about the troupe's bottom line, Gavrin ended the discussion by promising that the cost of the food would come out of Jelani's share of the profits.

In the tavern, Drezz was approached by a small boy named Peter, probably no older than 5 or 6 years. Peter's father was "still at home," according to his weeping mother. He was curious about Drezz's lineage, having never seen a half-orc before. The two chatted for a short time, with Peter asking if he could accompany the party to the church. Drezz denied the request, sayin that it would be dangerous. Peter grudgingly agreed to remain behind with his mother. Later, as the party scaled the north barricade into town, Peter offered Drezz his lucky charm: an old, gray rabbit's foot.

A few hundred feet north of the town square, with Vaor on point, the party encountered a trio of zombies feasting upon the remains of a horse. The party arrived piece by piece, and battle was met. As the PCs hacked away at their undead foes, a trio of ghouls emerged from the nearby builings, attacking Vaor from behind and paralyzing him. The ghouls' intention to drag him away, likely in order to sate their vile appetites, was put to an end by Jelani's invokation to Tymora. As two of the ghouls ran away in fear, the third dropped Vaor, proclaimed "You're one lucky bastard!" and spit into the tiefling's eye before fleeing after his companions.

The battle was further complicated by the arrival of two frenzied carcass eaters. The creatures had been attracted by the commotion, and immediately set upon Jelani and Norm. Still, the group made short work of the carcass eaters and the zombies that remained. Spirits were high, and they continued on to the church only a little worse for wear.

Ahead, the church loomed out of the mist. Our brave heros ventured to the doors, where they could hear strange chanting emanating from inside. With no time to spare, they opened the doors and charged within. Drezz was the first on the scene, which was revealed to be a ruined chapel with a large hole torn into the center of the floor. The church's only living occupant, the village priest, Danovich, stood up from behind the altar, screaming "You'll never take my son away from me!!" before unleashing a fury of divine flame upon Drezz.

With that, several zombies and a deathlock emerged from the southern rooms, accosting the rest of the adventurers as they moved inside. Drezz, singed but still alive, closed in on Danovich, with Vaor close behind. The two quickly subdued the old man before he could do much more harm, while everyone else contended with the zombies. Jelani, calling on Tymora one more time, easily scattered the three zombies, causing them to flee.

Drezz, infuriated and in a barbarian's rage, took a leap of faith and plunged into the hole in the floor. He was immediately set upon by the source of the necromantic scourge: a blaspheme. No one could say where the horrible creature had come from, nor did they much care as it tore into Drezz with its horrible teeth. Along with the blaspheme were two more zombies (the animated corpses of Ashlyn's missing companions) and a skeleton.

In short order, the entire party was involved in the fray. Vaor went toe-to-toe (or is that "phalange to phalanges"?) with the skeleton, while Benson (after leaping through the hole in a failed attempt at "death from above" on the blaspheme) and Drezz continued taking turns hacking the vile creature. Norm followed Ashlyn down the stairs into the attack, and applied his electrifying touch to the beast, while Jelani fired holy rays into the melee from the upper storey.

Ashlyn, seeing the zombified remains of her two missing companions, became slightly unhinged. It made matters worse that the two zombies, upon seeing her, shambled towards her with murderous intent reflected in their dry, shriveled eyes. As the distraught paladin tried to fend off her former colleagues, almost everyone else suffered from the blaspheme's blasphemous bite. Things were looking grim, indeed, until Jelani let fly one last mercurial ray.

With a blinding flash and a spiritual shockwave, the blaspheme was suddently torn asunder by the holy might of Tymora (combined with the brutal hacking of swords and the crackling power of sorcerous electricity). Every other undead creature in the room shuddered violently before dropping to the floor in inert rotting piles. The death blow had fallen none too soon, for the group was in sorry shape: Ashlyn was nearly dead, and Drezz (his rage expended) was literally on death's doorstep.

The battle done, the crew tended to the wounded and gathered up items of importance (ie, loot): a diary, along with items of religious significance, was contained within the altar; a mess of alchemical and surgical apparatus, too large and fragile for immediate removal, littered the northwestern corner of the basement; the arms and armor of Ashlyn's friends was found in the basement, as well; and a fragment of a foul text -- possibly the cause of the priest's undoing -- lay upon the altar.

All in all, the players had accomplished much in a single evening of swordplay. After three sessions with a single encounter each, they'd moved quickly through two (or three, depending on how you tally them) difficult encounters in one evening. The dice were with them, and though I wasn't rolling horribly, my rolls were certainly less effective than I'd become accustomed to. I had fully expected at least one casualty, but it was not to be. In future, I must learn not to underestimate this motley crew.

Session #3: Battle in Town Square

The entire group managed to gather together last night for our third session. When last we left, the party had just arrived at Barovia's town square, and was about to charge headlong into battle against a horde of zombies...

...however, I had to reintegrate Drezz (Jeff), who had missed last session. The story reason behind his departure from the group was to return to the carnie camp and warn them about the zombies. On his way to the camp, he began to hear wolves howling nearby, their mournful voices being answered by other wolves further away. At the edge of the mist, dark forms could be seen moving just out of sight.

A woman's scream rang out as he drew within sight of the camp's edge. Breaking into a run, Drezz discovered that a zombie had wandered into camp, and was attempting to lay a little bit of decomposing love on Haleia, the troupe's dancer/acrobat. Jaeger, the dwarf teamster, and Jonal Orin, the animal trainer, had drawn their weapons in an attempt to beat the creature back. With Drezz on the scene, the three made quick work of the undead beast. After a brief exchange, Gavrin instructed Drezz to go back and tell the others to come back so that they could help guard the camp from any more zombies that might stagger along...

Back at the center of town, Vaor was flying into battle while simultaneously quaffing an elixir of dragon's breath. Benson was close behind, spurring his horse into battle. Still, luck was not with the paladin, as the zombie he attempted to overrun turned the tables and pushed his warhorse back and down to the ground in an equine heap.

The majority of the zombies continued to advance upon and attack the armored woman near the well, while those nearest to Benson and his fallen horse descended upon him. One zombie, encrusted with grave dirt and quicker than the rest, charged past the fray near the well, aiming to close the distance with Norm. Jelani made a quick turn attempt, while norm laid his shocking grasp upon the quickest of the zombies, lighting up its (un)life.

About this time, Drezz came upon the scene, and moved in to do his worst. The battle was getting heated, with Vaor supporting the young woman in platemail while Benson, remounted, was working his way towards the mass of zombies in the square. The quick zombie, which was actually revealed to be an entomber, laid a mighty blow upon Norm, pounding him bodily into the earth and leaving little more than a lump of cobble stone-covered earth to mark the sorcerer's shallow grave.

Amazingly enough, Norm was able to dig his way out of the grave in just two trounds, which surprised me quite a bit. I'd expected Norm, as weak as he is, to require some manner of assistance in order to escape his earthy prison...but alas, it was not to be.

With those zombies who'd been turned attempting to climb over the southern barricade, the rest of the horde was slowly whittled down by the advancing player characters. Drezz beat the entomber to within an inch of destruction, with Norm finishing it off with another application of shocking grasp. With the majority of the active zombies destoyed, the party turned to finishing off those who had been turned away by Jelani's invokations.

After the melee, the young woman introduced herself to the party as Ashlyn, a paladin of Lathander and a member of the Lightbringers, an order of heroes devoted to ridding the world of undead. Two of her companions had left some days earlier to investigate the town's church, which the townsfolk insist is the source of the zombie infestation. She also informed Benson of her quest to find the Sunsword, a blade that was created to vanquish undead creatures. Two of Ashlyn's companions had left days earlier to investigate the church, but have not yet returned. Ashlyn, who had stayed behind to defend the townsfolk, fears the worst.

Within the confines of the barricaded town square are two establishments: Bildreth's Mercantile, a general store; and the Blood of the Vine Tavern, where nearly thirty of Barovia's families are holed up. Within the tavern, the PCs encounter Arin, the bartender, and Ismark the Lesser, the mayor's son.

It is decided that the PCs will return to fetch their carnival wagons, bringing them back to the center of town for their own safety. Additionally, they intend to reinforce the barricades with their wagons. Some time later, their mission accomplished, they let the night pass. Morning comes, dim and gloomy in the omnipresent mist. After speaking with Ismark, the PCs are told that the Mayor has been dead some ten days, murdered. Even now, Ismark's sister watches over their father's body at the family estate. Ismark claims that the lord of the castle, "that devil, Strahd," is responsible for his father's death.

Why would the lord of Barovia have the mayor killed? According to Ismark (his tongue loosened by what remains of the tavern's weak wine), Strahd had attempted to visit his sister, and was subsequently driven off by the Mayor. "My father used a family heirloom, the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind, to drive that damnable Strahd away. It is little more than a useless trinket now, and, in any case, has disappeared. Likely stolen by my father's murderer."

They also hear rumor of Madam Eva, a Vistani soothsayer, who abides at an encampment near the Tser Pool to the west. It is suggested that she may be able to shed some light on the dilemmas facing the PCs. The Vistani, a race of men similar in appearance to the Rashemi yet hairier and stockier, are distrusted by the townsfolk. Arin, the barkeep, whispers that they are thieves and murderers, and are likely responsible for the death of the village priest's son.

Where to now?

The PCs have decided to recover for a day or so before venturing to the church in an attempt to stem the tide of Barovia's undead. Will the succeed? Check back in two weeks...

Gavrin's Wondrous Wandering Sideshow

Come one, come all, and meet the men and women that make Gavrin's Wondrous Wandering Sideshow the marvel of the Realms..!

Yaref Gavrin
Nickname: Boss
Role: Sideshow manager, barker, MC, and accountant.
Looks: Middle-aged human male, well-dressed unless traveling, with dark hair and cobalt blue eyes. Not unattractive, but definitely past his prime.
Personality: To the customers and fans, Gavrin is larger than life, bombastic, and charming. When the curtain falls, however, Gavrin is businesslike, serious, and not at all afraid to throw his weight around. He cares about his people, but he doesn't play favorites with any of them. He's always on the look-out for a new performer with a unique angle, as well as for ways to spice up existing acts.
Quote: "Step right up! See Cormyr's eighth marvel, spawn of both man and dragon! But stare not too long into its fiery eyes, lest you find yourself less a man than you once thought!"

Haleia Seph
Nickname: Haley
Role: Dancer, acrobat, seamstress
Looks: A female half-elf in her early- to mid-twenties. Fair skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. Attractive and well-proportioned. Her features favor her human side, though her ears are slightly pointed.
Personality: Somewhat ignorant about the rest of the world, Haleia moves through life sparing little thought to tomorrow. She lives in the moment, caring only about the now and rarely considering consequences. Somewhat hedonistic, though not promiscuous. She is helpful to people she likes, and makes a point to ignore those that she doesn't. Complains bitterly at any complication, no matter how minor.
Quote: "You call this a suite? Hardly! If Gavrin expects me to sleep in this hostel, he's got another thing coming."

Miss Phoebe
Nickname: Seeress
Role: Fortune-teller, diviner, con artist
Looks: She is an elf in her middle years, with long dark hair and bright green eyes. Phoebe hides her slim, willowy figure beneath flowing dresses, billowing skirts, and enveloping cloaks. Her facial features are fine, yet often hidden behind a hood or veil.
Personality: Mystery clouds Miss Phoebe's past, and she prefers it that way. No one knows what her real name is, but everyone tends to agree that it probably isn't Phoebe. She speaks eloquently when interacting with customers, riddling her speech with occultist nonsense words and superstitious mumbo jumbo. Behind the scenes, she is apt to joke with the show's male employees, though she disdains Haleia (who she considers a half-breed).
Quote: "I see great deeds in your future. A life of renown and wealth awaits you. For just three coppers more, I will reveal the source of your fame..."

Cookie
Nickname: Cookie
Role: Chef
Looks: Youngish-looking male halfling, though his apparent youth may be a result of aging well. His skin and hair are dark, and his eyes are hazel. He dresses in the garb of a commoner, often with a stained white apron tied on for good measure.
Personality: Gregarious, and rarely serious unless food is at stake. Always in search of new spices and recipes to try. Though an able cook, the rest of the crew disdains his constant culinary experiments. Cookie is not easily insulted, even when his food is rejected out of hand. He specializes in baking pies of all kinds.
Quote: "Don't worry, it's an acquired taste. I'm sure you'll come to enjoy it with time. I've got leftovers to last us a week!"

Jonal Orin
Nickname: Orin
Role: Animal handler/trainer, scout, hunter
Looks: Middle-aged human male. Grey hair and beard, brown eyes. Wears functional clothing in natural colors, and never seems uncomfortable regardless of extremes of climate.
Personality: Quiet, competent, and oftentimes severe. Orin is another of the sideshow's secrets, as few are certain of his origins. Rumors say that he was once employed as a beast trainer by a Zhentarim nobleman, but fled his livlihood amidst confusing and violent circumstances. He enjoys telling dark fables with disturbing morals.
Quote: "...and when the elf came to, he found that the orcs had taken more than just his virginity. The moral? Never bet something that can't be won back."

Jaeger
Nickname: Baldy
Role: Teamster, ad-hoc guard
Looks: An old male dwarf, Jaeger has a bald head, steely gray eyes, and a white beard that he keeps braided much of the time. He dresses in a hooded rust-colored tunic, under which he sports a battered suit of leather armor.
Personality: The self-described "old man" of the crew. He speaks his mind more often than not, and is honest almost to a fault. Though married, he hasn't seen his wife in decades, and doesn't seem to mind one whit. He has several sons, but none will deign to speak with him. His advice is generally sound and to the point.
Quote: "Damn it, Taemus! I told ya to stay away from them brothels in Procampur, didn't I? You's lucky they only took yer money, ya ask me."

Taemus
Nickname: Twig
Role: Teamster
Looks: Like his nickname, Taemus is tall, thin, and gangly. A human male in his teens, he has acne scars on his cheeks and a prominant Adam's apple. He wears a peasant's garb, which only makes him look more like a farmer.
Personality: Taemus is almost shy, and tends to mumble when spoken to by strangers. He's loyal, especially to Jaeger, who he regards as a father figure. He occasionally talks about leaving his home, seeing as the farmer's life didn't agree with his sense of adventure.
Quote: "I know, Jaeger, I know. But you didn't see this gal. She was like a celestial, straight from the bosom of Chauntea herself..!"

Dell
Nickname: Wink
Role: Teamster
Looks: Dell is a human in his early twenties. His dark hair is often unkempt and greasy, while his one good eye is a murky shade of blue. He wears an eye patch over his left eye, but will occasionally remove it in an attempt to gross Haleia out (which works most of the time). The clothes he wears are stained, and he often smells of some manner of brew or spirits.
Personality: Dell is a gambler, plain and simple, who took a job as a teamster in order to escape his debts in Amn. He's rough around the edges, fond of rude jokes and crude language. His drinking often gets the best of him, and Gavrin has taken to fining him every time he ends up in a local jail cell for rowdy behavior. When sober, which is generally once he's run out of whatever booze he bought in the last town or village, he is undeniably a valuable addition to the company. Still, few trust him due to his propensity to cheat at games of chance.
Quote: "I don't know where the knife came from. Guy like that, yellin' and shoutin', probably had enemies. What's it to me if he's been sent off to a dirtnap?"

Session #2: Onward Into Town

We met again last night, and continued the Ravenloft game. Present were Adam, Amy, Alex, and Mike. Adam spend some time putting the finishing touches on his tiefling monk, Vaor. We ate roast beef sandwiches and cappucino cake (the latter provided by Alex, bringer of sweets). With food out of the way and children snug in their beds, we began. We started later than I'd've wished, but I guess that's the nature of the beast these days.

By virtue of Jeff's absence, Drezz left the main group, and headed back to warn the rest of the carnival staff of the undead menace in town. Along the way, he ran into Vaor, who had arrived minutes earlier, and was trying to catch up with the rest of the PC group. The two exchanged news, and parted ways. A few minutes later, Vaor and the other PCs were together, surveying the last game's carnage before continuing westward into Barovia.

Their vision impeded by the mist, they moved slowly ahead, once more coming to another intersection. Ahead, laying upon the ground, they could see a corpse, seemingly alone. Moving forward cautiously, they were immediately set upon by four zombies. Benson the paladin charged forward on his horse, chopping and hewing, while Vaor set his fists to flying against undead flesh.

Jelani, meanwhile, began to recite her ever-popular turning liturgy. In the rear, Norm was casting shocking grasp, intending to send his gerbil familiar (named "Lemmiwinks"; Mike (at left) is so clever) to deliver the spell to one of the marauding zombies. He didn't have the chance, as a pair of dire maggots emerged from the vicinity of the corpse and squirmed their way towards the party, followed by a pair of screaming vargouilles. The screaming, bat-winged heads had little effect, save on Jelani: though she managed to turn two of the zombies, her fear of the demonic flying craniums kept her shock still in her saddle.

Norm ended up expending his shocking grasp spell upon the massive maggot that had taken to chewing on his leg, while Benson continued to chop the zombies that remained while spurring his mount to kick and bite. Vaor was having a tough time of it; his blows were more or less ineffective against his zombie opponent, and he'd twisted his ankle in the process. The zombie reciprocated by slamming Vaor back, sickening him in the process with some manner of unholy plague. The maggots, still very much alive, managed to paralyze both Norm and Vaor with their poisonous saliva, leaving Benson as the only mobile PC on the battlefield.

Things were looking extraordinarily bad at this point, with 3/4ths of the party unable to move or act. To make matters worse, the vargouilles flew down from on high and attempted to lay their nasty lips upon Vaor and Norm. I felt almost guilty, but my regrets diminished when my die rolls turned sour and I missed on both kiss attempts. So much for turning Lemmiwinks' master into a disembodied, screaming head. I may yet manage to transform him into a zombie or vampire, though. How I relish the fantasy.

Benson moved in and sliced the first of the vargouilles in two, while Norm managed to shrug of his paralysis long enough to put three magic missiles through the second. Her fear dispelled by the destruction of the vargouilles, Jelani joined the fray, chopping into the maggots with her short sword after invoking Tymora's blessing. Vaor soon followed suit, and together the party managed to vanquish what foes remained. Overall, it was a tough encounter with several ups and downs. To hear the players tell it, it was mostly downs.

Against their better judgement, the PCs decided to heal up as best they could and continue westward, towards the sounds of shouts and battle. After a few minutes of cautious travel, the mists ahead parted to reveal a smashed barricade swarming with zombies. The barricade had, until recently, been keeping zombies out of the town square. Several villagers had been slain in the tussel, and a single woman in plate armor was fending the invaders off as best she could. Even as the PCs arrived and took stock of the situation, the slain villagers were twiching and rising in a terrible semblance of life, adding to the already intimidating number of zombies within.

The characters decided unanimously to charge onward to the woman's aid, but the hour was late and it was time to break for the night. Next game, we'll see how this final fight goes, and maybe they'll have a chance to rest before going on to their next challenge...

Session #1: Welcome to Barovia

Though it's been two weeks since the first game, I've been lax in posting an account of what happened during the session. This post is meant to remedy the situation, as session #2 is scheduled for tomorrow evening.

Myself, Amy, Alex, Mike, and Jeff were in attendance. We spent the better part of the first two hours finalizing characters, buying equipment, and shooting the breeze. We didn't start playing until about nine, and we drew to a close well after midnight.

To set the record straight, I'm setting this adventure in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, precisely where the adventure suggests it be placed. Why? Well, I've got a ton of FR material laying about, and if the campaign goes to its conclusion, we may, in theory, want to continue adventuring with the same characters in the Realms.

Since Adam wasn't present, I made an excuse for his character -- he's traveling on another wagon (the chow wagon, to be exact), which was a few days behind the rest of the carnival due to a broken axle. The rest of the crew and their multitude of wagons and red-shirt NPCs ended up at the Weary Horse Inn, where they stayed the night and arranged to set up a single tent for an evening's worth of entertainment for the local inhabitants. Word went out, and a good-sized handful of bored locals (mostly farmers, rangers, and miners) showed up the following evening to see the entertainment. Little else need be said.

The next morning, they set off toward Barovia. Little could be seen through the mist, which grew ever thicker as their altitude increased on the winding uphill road. They eventually came to the gate, which opened ominously for them. In true adventurer style, they continued on, and only Drezz (Jeff's character) turned around to test if the gates would open to allow them egress from Barovia.

They wouldn't.

On towards the town. Pulling into the outskirts, the wagons were brought into a clearing. Gavrin, the manager, ringleader, MC, and barker of the show, put the player characters to work by sending them into town to ask for permission to set up the carnival in a nearby clearing.

Entering the town proper, it quickly became evident that something was terribly wrong. The windows and doors of the buildings along the road had been either boarded up or broken in, and the sounds of screams and moans could be heard in the direction of the town center. The wrongness of the situation was only confirmed when the characters encountered a mass of zombies, accompanied by a couple of carcass eaters and a deathlock.

The fight was intense, but quick. Jelani, Amy's cleric, had some good turn checks, which forced most of the zombies back. The remaining creatures were laid low by Drezz and Benson (Alex's paladin), with Norm (Mike's sorcerer) tossing some magic missiles for good measure.

With the undead foes defeated, we ended the session. It was already late, and we were all tired. I'd encountered a somewhat painful furniture malfunction earlier in the evening: the ancient fold-up chair I've sat in for years broke beneath me. As a result, my back and butt were both quite sore.

And now, we wait for the second session to begin, roughly twenty-six hours from now. I plan to prepare pulled beef BBQ sandwiches for the assembled crew prior to the game. Should be tasty.