The Curse of Strahd

Session 1: Highway Robbery

As told by Helios Winston

  • DM Sets the scene – Two wagons traveling down the road with a beautiful landscape, however a storm is brewing. 
  • Wagons are under attack! The bandits surround the wagon on the left and back sides
  • Combat Begins. Players describe their characters as they attack.
    • Helios: Wearing fancy, cream with gold laced robes. Very young. Dirty Blonde hair, down to shoulder.
    • Tadg: Spartan looking in dress. Lacking in armor. Tall, lean and skinny. Kark brown , Long hair.
    • Utztec-za: Tip to tail – 7 foot. Standing 6’4”. Blue scales, yellow eyes. Lizard man with bone armor, with loin cloth.
  • Droop: Goblin, pops out of the wagon to help attack the bandits.
  • Vella Dawn: Dark skinned woman that hired the group, joins the fight.
  • It is a bumpy battle as all characters struggle to keep their footing.
  • One lead bandit mentions “Bolt Brothers Fek”
  • Vella Recognizes the orange robed bandit, Spindle.
  • Together the players defeat the bandits
  • The group makes camp for the night. Droop cooks for the caravan, using the good meat.
  • With the storm calming down, Helios starts to calm himself and tries to help set up for dinner.
  • Utztec went to hunt and Tadg & Helios talked about Tadg seeing the Dhampir turn to use his vampiric bite.
  • The group is camped at Silver Thread Valley
  • They are traveling to Spire Cliff Castle:
    • White Cliffs
    • Castle built out of the cliff
    • A giant work of art
  • Vella Dawn works for Arcane Dawn Reagents. She hired us to protect and transport reagents to the academy at Spire Cliff Castle.
  • Utztec was successful in his hunt and brought back a big buck. Getting 17 rations out of it. (to help Helios with is cravings)
  • As Helios looks out at the sky and the stars, some clouds part to reveal a blood red moon.
  • Helios reflects and talks to vella about judging people and that you don’t know what people go through to cause them to do the actions that they do.
  • Tadg reconnected with nature and noticed some things to keep an eye on.
  • Utztec kicks his tent over in frustration with size. Tadg climbs a tree and Helios Puts on a tight “storm” vest.    ….  All go to sleep.
  • When they wake, nothing is as it was.
  • Wagons are gone, tents are gone. To Utztec, who wakes first, the smell of the air resembles the smell of death.
  • Helios and Tadg are still asleep and there are now sounds of animals and the forest is obscured by mist.
  • Utztec wakes up Helios
  • Helios notices a suspicious looking tree limb that really looks like it is about to attack Tadg. He casts Eldritch Blast and shatters it. As Helios casts, he notices black veins start squirming from his wrist to his elbow. AS the blast comes out, it lets out a scream along with a swirl of black smoke.
  • A path appears in the fog.
  • The party follows the path, each of them seeing things in the mist.
  • Helios sees Vella hanging from a tree with Droop licking up the blood. He tries to help but is stopped by his companions
  • He then sees his dead, rotted body get abruptly pulled into the mist. Helios lets out an Eldritch Blast towards the vision. Utztec tries to stop him, unsuccessfully, but convinces him not to fall for the illusions
  • NOTE: The Eldritch Blast was the same as before. Veins turn black from wrist to elbow and release with screams and black smoke.
  • The group notices a white object ahead.
  • As the group reach the object they see a three story, delpedated manor, surrounded by the forest. The mist moves and reveals “Durst Manor” on the portico. Helios hears crying behind him… “Please help us” “There is a Monster in the basement”. Utztec turns to see a boy and girl. Both are very pale.