From Across the Multiverse to Barovia: Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (IC)

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Arya turns to August: "What news have you August Elder? We must find a place to camp soon."

[Sallera]

"<Thank you for your wisdom. May the spirit and root be strong.>" So saying, August casts the tree spirit's blessing over the surrounding area and returns to the others.

"They know of no pool nearby. The campsite should be safe enough; some wolves and a bear seem to frequent the area, but they will not likely bother us."

[Fireheart]

T'riss nods. "Do we wish a Fire then? or Cold? I can gather wood if we wish warmth for the night?"

[TheFallenOne]

"A pity, I'd have liked a short swim. Ah well, maybe we'll have more luck further along the way." He took off Drifa's armor, the wolf visibly relaxing. "So, with the area seemingly safe anyone mind if I let her roam a bit? Wolves prefer freshly caught prey and maybe she'll even bring a deer back. Some fresh meat does sound tempting."

[Mahrke]

The long horseback ride hasn't done Isaac overly well, and the old man has a worn, exhausted look about him; the stress of the situation was very obviously eating at him.

"I'd much prefer not to freeze to death in this place's night." He replies bitterly to Triss' question, slowly sinking down to take a seat on the ground, with back against a tree. He rubs at his knee with bony digits of right hand, frown creasing deep lines in his face. He lets out a deep sigh. "I hate camping..."

[Sallera]

"A fire seems an excellent idea. I will gather some berries, as well, to preserve our rations." Heading off in the opposite direction, August seeks both kindling and some sort of berry to transform before returning to the others.

"Well, I am starting to feel at home again, although 'tis still strange to see the moon again after so long. This is an enticing forest."

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(2d4)[6] goodberries to supplement our rations. August still doesn't need to eat for another few days.

[Fireheart]

T'riss nods and begins to search out firewrood. Staying within shouting voice of the camp, she seeks out the wood for a fire. Her own natural instincts ensure that she watches and listens for trouble even as she gathers the wood into her arms.

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spot
(1d20+11)[31]

listen
(1d20+11)[27]

When she returns to the camp, she begins to build the fire.

"Should we set watches, as well?"

[Jeff the Green]

Komori collects canteens and begins refilling them in the river, while Ashlyn shucks herself out of her chainmail and helps Ireena do the same. Some twenty yards away, into the woods dense with ferns and moss, T'riss sees red glowing eyes through the evening fog coming off the river. Three—no, four—of them blink in the fading twilight, and after a few moments they recede into the fog.

"'Twould be prudent, methinks," replies Ashlyn. "Though wolves and bears might well shy away from us, they might yet attack, or if some of the stories I've heard of Barovia be true, be somewhat more than mere beasts.

"If their magic be the same as practiced in Richemoulot, Master August, Elder Isaac, and Lady Kuni must needs have a full night of sleep. If I wish to have my full capacity tomorrow, I must as well. An' it pleases you, I will take first watch that I may do my share and still be as potent in the morning as is possible."

[Mahrke]

"Your supposition is correct, Ashlyn." The professor looks up from his seat on the ground. "I need a night of peaceful rest to regain the use of my magic. However, if keeping watch is a concern, then Vesper can be of assistance." He prods the floating metallic device with his cane, which responds with a wobbly hum as it stabilizes its altitude. "Its sensors are nothing special, but it should be able to detect the presence of animals, and alert us in our slumber."

He looks around their campsite, heaving another soft sigh. "What I wouldn't give to be back in bed at my flat..." He mumbles gloomily.

[TheFallenOne]

"Off you go girl. Don't stray too far." With a pat on her flank Drifa is sent off, hunting through the woods.
Aswin meanwhile busied himself with preparing a fire pit. "Sounds like you're a stranger to this place as well Ashlyn. How long have you been here?"

[Sallera]

"I shall take the last watch, then. I do wish to see what the dawn is like in this place." August feeds kindling into the prepared pit, although he does not light it, instead sitting back and gazing around the clearing and surrounding forest.

[Jeff the Green]

Lady Ashlyn hesitates for a moment before replying. "I have been in this domain for somewhat less than three weeks, though in truth it seemeth longer. My companions—Sol Invictus raise them to glory—and I arrived in Barovia barely more than a week before the equinox, and spent a few days traveling to the village. When we arrived the first of the undead had already risen, but it had not yet become such a plague."

[Fireheart]

T'riss finishes setting up the fire and lights it with flint and steel from her pack.

"There are things in the mists," she says, "I saw three..or four pairs of eyes watching as I gathered the wood but they stayed away. What threat they pose, I am not sure. I can take a middle watch if need be?"

[Sallera]

"Well, perhaps they will come and visit, or perhaps they wish only to keep track of the wanderers in their territory. What do your tales tell of the wolves of Barovia, Ashlyn?"

[TheFallenOne]

"No, if those eyes were red I saw the very same thing on the churchgrounds when transporting the bodies. Whoever is watching us, they started doing so before we entered their domain."

[Mahrke]

"Lord Strahd doesn't seem like the type to practice druidism to me." Isaac proffers, "Perhaps bestial eyes from the forest are only that, the eyes of a beast. Regardless, I'm as loathe to end up a wolf's meal as I am to end up a shambling corpse. It would be prudent to keep the fire stoked."

[Jeff the Green]

"I'm afraid my knowledge of Barovia's creatures is limited to what I've seen," Ashlyn replies. "Perhaps you know what Lady T'rissaste saw, Lady Ireena?"

"I can't be certain," Ireena says, "but they might have been wolves. I've never seen them, since they stay away from villages. I know some of the farmers to the south of the town have trouble with them killing calves and lambs, but I've never heard of them attacking humans. Maybe they might if they were hungry enough, but I don't know.

"There are other things in the forest, though. My father told tales of great beasts he called Worgs, like Aswin's companion, but with a cruel disposition and black-blue fur so they blend into the night. They've attacked the village a few times, but not since I came to live with my father. And there are some men that can turn into wolves. According to Dumitru, a hunter that lives in the village, some came near the village a few years ago. He has a bow his grandfather or his grandfather's father had enchanted to kill shapeshifters, and went hunting for them. He said he killed a couple, but was fairly sure that wasn't all of them. He was killed by one of the undead, and I went looking for his bow, but it must have been smashed or stolen, since it wasn't in his house."

[Mahrke]

Isaac gives a little wince. "Well, I suppose you could call it stolen. We discovered a dopplebane longbow during one of our forays into the village in search of the plague's source. We...uh...sold it."

The elder clasps his cane in both hands, and slouches down further against the tree's base, closing his eyes and frowning.

[TheFallenOne]

"I guess we should have thought an owner is still alive after we found the bow in that house occupied by the walking dead. Right now the bow is with Bildrath, and the coin for it is with us.

I don't think we need to be worried about common wolves long as Drifa is around. They have a clear hierarchy, and if she beats the leader of the pack into submission she should be able to make them back off. Wargs and wolfgangers on the other hand... I'll keep my armor on as we sleep, just in case."

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looks like we have watches set, Ashlyn first, August last, T'riss middle. If we make 4 shifts instead of 3 I take the other middle one. And Vesper is always around too.

[Jeff the Green]

Spot/Listen Table
{table=head]Character|Spot|Listen
Arya (LLV)|(1d20+2)[8]|(1d20+6)[25]
T'riss (DV 120)|(1d20+11)[31]|(1d20+11)[28]
Isaac|(1d20+2)[15]|(1d20+2)[19]
Aswin (DV 60)|(1d20+3)[5]|(1d20+3)[15]
August (DV 60)|(1d20+16)[20]|(1d20+2)[20]
Kuni (DV 60)|(1d20+4)[23]|(1d20+4)[13]
Ashlyn|(1d20+2)[16]|(1d20+2)[7]
Ireena|(1d20+3)[5]|(1d20+3)[13][/table]

Would everyone double check that I have your modifiers and vision correct? I copied from your sheets but I know they're not always necessarily accurate and I may be missing situational modifiers.

I'm going to assume Arya takes a shift since al'Lan hasn't posted. Combine that with T'riss's trance and that means Aswin doesn't need to take a shift. Ireena will share Ashlyn's shift, as she isn't ready for sleep yet.

[Jeff the Green]

Ireena lets out a bark of mirthless laughter at the bow's disposition. "I imagine Bildrath is quite happy with that. He'd been trying to get Dumitru to sell that bow for years now. Said someone in Sri Raji wanted something to kill a king who became a great cat every so often, and would pay a great deal for that bow."

You have an utterly uneventful night. There are a few things moving around in the forest, but it seems almost that as soon as they notice that you have heard them they recede. T'riss manages to spot a humanoid figure in the forest, but only for a moment, and it disappears into the fog again.

When morning comes it is cold and wet, with the fog from the river stubbornly refusing to budge and with the sun hidden behind dark banks of clouds. It might rain later in the day, but one thing you've learned since your arrival is that the clouds of this land are rather more permanent than those of your homes.

[Sallera]

"A mirthless morning we see," August proffers as the others begin to wake, watching the mist across the river. "I had hoped for a little less cloud, but a forest like this has its own charm." Waving a hand through the fog and setting it to swirling, he turns and sets down another handful of enchanted berries.

"Well, so far the forest's denizens keep their distance. We shall see how far we get before they grow more curious."

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(2d4)[8] goodberries.

August has Darkvision 90ft, as his sheet states, but the Spot and Listen mods are correct.

[Fireheart]

T'riss wakes from her Trance in the morning and shrugs herself out of her bedroll.

"Agreed. Tis a weary land...almost sad." She glances around as the others rise. "Arya, since your skills in scouting seem equal to mine, do you wish to take point today? I can take rear guard? In my land, trading duties keeps us from wearing out as much."

[Mahrke]

Isaac looks worn as he rises. The professor stands silently, clasping his cane; the night was not good to him. This dreadful place was too far removed from his comfortable flat to offer any real 'rest'.

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Arya nodded to Triss, absurdly proud that the shadow elf had seen fit to praise her talents. I do not need the confirmation of these! Yet she could not deny the satisfaction that their recent successful exploits had given her.

"I thank you, Lady Triss. Today we hunt."

Arya took point, drawing her blade and making a few practice swings before they departed to keep her eye in and practice her movement. She set out, eyes alert and watching for danger.

[TheFallenOne]

"Cold, damp, fog... Reminds me of the less pleasant days at home. The weather got quite different once we had reached the eastern lands. If only we got a bit of sunshine as well I might actually like it." The viking shrugged and summoned Drifa, putting on her adorned armor again and getting ready to depart.

[Jeff the Green]

You return to the road and walk through the mist. The trip is thoroughly boring, which, in light of your experiences in Barovia thus far, may be a relief. Eventually you come to an area where the forest recedes from the sides of the road, which gives you more light. It does nothing for visibility though, and the fog clings as closely as ever.

Some several minutes after you reached the clearing, you hear the call of a raven and a man shouting and huffing. Through the mist you can see what appears to be a tall, well built man maybe sixty feet in front of you, surrounded by indistinct shadows. The shadows are human-like, but too tall, like they'd been stretched and drawn.

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Hooray, a battle!
Initiative Table
{table=head]Character|Initiative
Arya|(1d20+5)[25]
T'riss|(1d20+11)[23]
Isaac|(1d20+1)[13]
Aswin|(1d20)[3]
August|(1d20+2)[11]
Baddies and NPCs|(1d20+2)[18][/table]

So the order is

1. Arya
2. T'riss
3. Baddies and NPCs
4. Isaac
5. August
6. Aswin

Give me your marching orders (other than Arya on point and T'riss rearguard; I know that) and we'll begin.

[Mahrke]

Isaac squints into the mist, canting his head. "What is that...it isn't...mercy's name!" He takes a short step forward with preternatural speed, stretching out bony fingers.

"Heed my magic if you are friend, wanderer!" He shouts, before jerking his hand back into a grasped fist in and effort to displace the space beside Aswin with a (hopefully) friendly traveler. "Dimension Hop!"

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Free Action during Initiative: Swiftness

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Cost: 3 pp
Target: Self
Effect: Initiative increases by 6 (new result is 19).

Move Action: Dismount horse
Standard Action: Dimension Hop

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Cost: 5 pp, Psionic Focus
Augment: Range, Greater Psionic Endowment
Target: Surrounded Man
Effect: Target is teleported adjacent to Aswin (DC 23 Will negates).

[al'Lan Mandrag]

Arya pauses watching the man intently: he seemed to be fighting, but the shadows were not responding- how does one fight a shadow?

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Arya delays until we learn more.

[Fireheart]

T'riss stands on her tiptoes to see around everyone.

"By the Goddess. What is he doing? Is he under attack?"

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OOC: T'riss delays until we learn if he's under attack or not?