Ravenloft (A Red Boxed Campaign)

[MadStepDad]

SHIP of HORRORS

Thank you again for indulging me this narrative pleasure. It's a project that I put off for so long, because I insisted my kids be the ones to keep the journal diary going this time around. But that never happened, and with everything going on now I felt it imperative to get a lot of these thoughts and events down sooner rather than later. Otherwise these events would truly be lost to the Mists (and to a slew of cellphone-addicted pre teens). Plus I'm trying to keep track of these open storylines and angles for my own fortuitous plotting. I'll be honest, I was very rusty to begin with. I almost thought I wouldn't be able to pull it off longterm, because I just couldn't find the spark. That's another reason why we broke so long to hit up that pay-per-game table at another game shop up the street. I needed motivation as well as specialized tutoring. The kids are into it sure, but not quite yet where I *WANT* them to be. Back in my day during some of the D&D peaks, we would think/discuss/strategize this stuff *DAILY* not just DAY-OF. So my players aren't quite there yet, but as time goes by and they get older (present day, age 15 & 12 for my boys) things are getting more and more interesting. The group chat is used almost-daily to discuss something in-game, which I whole-heartily endorse. So by this time, things are really starting to crest in the campaign. Clicking on all cylinders.

"Ship of Horrors" is a Black Box original, but I never got a chance to run it before. Not sure why; it just never fit my narrative back then. But now I'm all in. With the PCs needing transport off Odiare anyway, I figured it was a seamless way to transition into Captain Garvyn and the curse of Endurance. This adventure was looooooooong to play out. Even longer than 'The Awakening". From the slow reveal of paranormal activity, to the hauntings of the Endurance, and learning of each tragic backstory. To the Ghast Pirate attack, skeletal Sharks and deep-sea body searches. Along the way we picked up two more players (high school-age comic store locals) - and then two more, when my youngest son invited a classmate, only to have said classmates' MOTHER show up to game as well (another casual interest spurned from "Stranger Things", I learned). So now we've got a full table full of gamers live at New England Comics every Thursday night. I introduced most of these new players throughout our adventure on Graben Island, as the PCs were unraveling the undead TRUTH behind the mysterious Graben family. One climatic session came just as the PCs were finally ready to execute their huge, exhaustively-planned assault on Graben Estate. We had an ill cliff-hanger ending when the Barbarian's failed HORROR check (see "The Awakening") manifested itself in the worst possible way, and gave away a key location at the gate - immediately negating the PCs surprise factor plans. You had to be there, but it was awesome! So now we're about to embark upon a full-fledged BATTLE on Graben Estates, miniatures / maps / the rapt attention of nearly a dozen players... and you know what happens?

THE FREAKIN WORLD ENDS!

Suddenly it's Pandemic-central, everything gets shut down, and the game is DONE! I know there are electronic, internet Zoom ways to do stuff and whatnot, but that just wasn't my goal. The game went dormant for months. Eventually I want to say, maybe late-August or so (?) we decided to restart. Still can't do the comic shop, we started outside at the picnic table, socially-distanced and masked up. We *LOST* the two extra game-shop PCs and the mother/son combo, so we quickly wrote them out during the big battle at Graben Estates. Back to my core 5 PCs. Eventually they barely survive the big climatic battle and wipe out the undead Graben family - only to find out the evil goes DEEPER when they learn of the Graben's evil master on nearby Todstein island.

I made it personal to RVP by implying a past-world history with this "Meredoth" character that would make it almost mandatory he investigate this further. RVP and his people HATE necromancy; seeing it as THE ultimate scourge upon humanity. In fact, it was RVP's arch-nemesis Ladislas Sintesti who led our fair Paladin PC into Ravenloft in the first place. As you can see, I am deeply foreshadowing the Grim Harvest events still to come in about 8 years time. In my revised canon, Ladislas & his Ebon Fold CAME from my Paladin's native world. Ladislas is perhaps THE most vile necromantic practitioner of the time, and a direct descendant of the historically-evil Meredoth! RVP finds evidence that since his arrival in Ravenloft (exactly coinciding with Ladislas' arrival as well), that Ladislas has been in contact with his old mentor Meredoth (who was thought to have been banished or destroyed on RVP's home world a decade ago). Anyway, that's just a nerdy-wordy way to say I need to occasionally remind my PCs that there is a deeper, longer-running storyline thread here as opposed to just a tour of a bunch of random old modules. What's going on behind the scenes is Ladislas Sintesti starting from scratch in Ravenloft, rebuilding his Ebon Fold and using his knowledge to eventually ingratiate himself with Azalin enough to reappear finally as a major storyline proponent in the "Grim Harvest". But for now, the PCs *MUST* travel to Todstein Island and put an end to this grave-stealing madness once and for all!

I heavily revised the final encounter; toning Meredoth way down in Levels and relying on his skeletal hordes for maximum effect. He still kicked all their azzes, including the 9 dedicated sailors from Captain Garvyn's crew who accompanied them on their task (ostensibly as repayment for the PCs helping end their curse - but really there as cannon-fodder for my big bad NPC). Eventually with enough luck, strategy and a few magic items seized in the Graben Estates assault, the PCs "defeated" Meredoth - or at least drove him back into whatever hellhole abyss he crawled out of. In a curse-free Captain Garvyn's final assignment, he offered to charter the PCs off Todstein Island for good and return them to the mainland. In the downtime of the voyage, the PCs (by now damn-near best friends with some of the Ship of Horror NPCs) researched some of their new-found plunder - including SEVEN spellbooks from Meredoth that I indicated were similar to nuclear launch codes in their frightening power. These spellbooks (and the link to Ladislas Sintesti) will be the storyline hook that brings the PCs to their next stop - the Realm of Darkon, where Peregrine, their Master Navigator NPC buddy (see "Ship of Horrors") insisted they could get information of this magical persuasion. So away we go, let the trumpets blow. Across the Sea of Sorrow till it's Darkon, land ho!

Next up -

GAZING INTO THE ABYSS!

Stay tuned!!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Holy cow, the man's alive!

Quarantine's bringing everyone of the woodwork.... Welcome back, MSD! looking forward to reading all these updates....

[MadStepDad]

Holy cow, the man's alive!

Quarantine's bringing everyone of the woodwork.... Welcome back, MSD! looking forward to reading all these updates....

I'm so glad to see my favorite ancient vampire still ruling these halls! So much to catch up on. I am eager to dig in as much as I can. I'm trying to post a quick snapshot but not sure if it's working.



https://ibb.co/JcpTK7Y

My Paladin DMing a session while my Monk [lower left] Druid and Barbarian listen on. Yes I'm DMing of course, but the master plan in the end is the same as it ever was. Same mission I was spouting here as a teenager - SPREAD THE DISEASE! Breed the next generation of D&D fanatics! And that's only gonna work in the longterm by teaching them how to DM their own stuff. Still a work in progress. But I'm a dedicated Hero of Light to this cause!

The work continues.

Peace,

MSD

[Drinnik Shoehorn]

Holy cow, the man's alive!

Quarantine's bringing everyone of the woodwork.... Welcome back, MSD! looking forward to reading all these updates....

We just need Iggy to pop up somewhere and we can have a party.

[Lord_Pruitt]

MSD?!?!? Returns???? Great to see more of your story!

[MadStepDad]

MSD?!?!? Returns???? Great to see more of your story!

Thank you, old friend! I came back because I need your help. I'm almost up to present-day in my campaign, so I'm hoping y'all might be able to help me coordinate a good strong adventure timeline heading up to the Grim Harvest. I know I have to include "Death of Van Richten" somewhere in here too. I have some ideas obviously, but I've been out of the Ravenloft bubble so long I know I'm probably missing some really obvious stuff. As it is - let the story continue! Last chapter before current day!

GAZING into the ABYSS

A few weeks ago, Dr Rudolph van Richten received a letter from Werner Ruscheider, the son of an old friend of his; Dr Harmon Ruscheider. Claiming to be on the trail of a vampire, Werner asked Van Richten's advice on how to best deal with the monster. Realizing that the boy was too inexperienced to confront such a powerful creature alone, Van Richten rushed to Karg [Darkon] to offer his assistance. You see, the boy's father, Dr Ruscheider, died several years ago in Van Richten's arms; driven mad by a prolonged imprisonment by a lich! His son vowed to continue his father's research into methods of destroying these foul undead wizards Unfortunately - Werner met the same sad fate as his father - imprisoned and killed by a lich. Now, one of King Azalin's minions (a vassalich) has taken to impersonating Werner Ruscheider with a grand scheme to set-up, frame, discredit and imprison Van Richten in the "Black Hole" for life! That plot is well underway in the city of Karg, as Van Richten (under the misguided notion of "vampire hunting") has slain 3 innocent victims...

Meanwhile -

The PCs finally emerge from what-feels-like a lifetime aboard the Endurance, when they land in Martira Bay on their way to Il Aluk. Ahhhh Il Aluk, big city of dreams. But everything in Il Aluk ain't always what it seems. You might get fooled if you come from outta town, and my PCs (a scattered mix of outlanders & uneducated, superstitious locals) are about as far outside the loop as a bunch of Ravenloft newbies could be. This was my opportunity to press upon a new generation of players the awe, wonder & amazement of this city Il Aluk. The Boston/NY/LA/Paris/London capital of the Ravenloft world. Teeming with life and a melting pot of Ravenloft customs & traditions. I spent much time in my Black Box campaign expanding on these same concepts. I need my PCs to know & value Il Aluk - so that when the Grim Harvest does occur... hopefully the effects will be epic-level.

Anyway we touch down in Il Aluk and I let the players run amuck. After being trapped on a ship for so long, they had much to accomplish (converting gems, learning Darkonian currency, new & exotic equipment etc..) The Barbarian wound up missing a session, so he just ate/drank/merried himself while the others pursued individual goals. The Monk did his thing, the Paladin & Druid were intent on learning more about the terrifying spell books they pilfered from Meredoth (see "Ship of Horrors"), and the Rogue went rogue (starting trouble as usual - there's always at least *ONE* in every group, amirite?) It isn't like I haven't "punished" his character enough on the sly for him to realize that shadiness gets you nowhere in Ravenloft, but he persists because "character" lol. Anyway, we'll get back to the Rogue in the end.

For now the Main Quest involved getting the PCs to Karg, and it was here in Il Aluk (among the solid references they got from Perigrine the Master Navigator NPC ally) they learned all about the "Foucault Musical Library" in Karg. Not *too* much info, other than it's a bardic Musical Library with a possible lead on "necromantic manuscripts" of this variety. So the Paladin & Druid decided they needed to get to Karg right away. The other PCs agreed, but had some minor storyline entanglements to get through first.

For starters, yes the Rogue successfully infiltrated and pulled off a low-level double-cross heist of a local Il Aluk thieves guild. It all started when he wormed his way inside the Guild's outer circle and was all ready to participate in a big "robbery" they were planning. But I swerved him in the end by revealing their big-money target was the carefree drunken Barbarian PC who had grown far too loose & brazen with his material wealth! I took this as another learning opportunity and stressed that *TEAM UNITY* should be our underlying theme, so the Rogue thankfully backed off. Instead, he swerved the local guild and stole something from THEM (a very expensive, prized designer Dagger). Now the Rogue/Monk/Barbarian had no choice but to flee Il Aluk (with a local thieves guild looking for him), including a tense 4-on-2 altercation between the Monk/drunk Barbarian and some local hoods who insisted on trying to rob them anyway.

So now all the PCs are in the city of Karg, by hook or crook.

The "Gazing into the Abyss" adventure from Chilling Tales officially begins now. The Monk, Barbarian & Rogue arrived late at night through lower Karg, and witnessed the burned out shell of a local home nearby. They caught sight of Werner for the first time, who appeared to be lingering suspiciously nearby. The Druid & Paladin (in possession of Meredoth's spell books) arrived earlier, and visited the Foucault Musical Library during the day - hearing all about the 3 killings of local bards that have left their entire community shook. The only info they can gleam from the bards about the books, is that they are indeed very powerful - and that the PCs should seek an audience with Mr. Draycott Foucault himself (wealthy philanthropist & founder of this Musical Library). Mr Foucault will be visiting the Library tomorrow if the PCs want to stick around.

So now I got the PCs reunited at the Old Mill in Upper Karg (see Gazetteer Volume 2) where they are coordinating information - and I drop a bombshell on them. Ladies & gentlemen, reintroducing old ally Rudolph Van Richten! Who just happens to be staying at the Old Mill himself, along with his young (but dour) assistant, Werner Ruscheider - the same guy our Monk/Barbarian/Rogue triumvirate recognized from earlier. What a fortuitous coincidence (dark destiny?) that they all meet again here in Karg, right in the middle of a DIRE vampire hunt. At this point Van Richten tells his story (much to Werner's apparent chagrin) and even reveals the 3 heads in the bag (cause for a Horror Check!) Astute readers may realize that the events of this module are in a different order from how they're presented in the module. Most of it came from luck, as the PCs were temporarily split on two different paths, but I think it worked out better in the end to foreshadow the whispers of murder (and throw in a burned-down house sighting for further flavor) *before* Van Richten's story and the reveal of the 3 decapitated heads. Also got a chance to include a look at Van Richten's torturous nightmares - the result of his evil manipulation.

So now the PCs have even MORE motivation to meet this Draycott Foucault character and figure out what's going on (nest of VAMPIRES!?! My Paladin and Druid *HATE* Vampires!!) Haha, remnants of twin failed-Horror checks (see "The Turning Day"). At this point, the Rogue had to miss a session so we temporarily wrote him out by saying he was having the stolen dagger discreetly appraised in Lower Karg - to be continued at the conclusion of this adventure...)

Back to the Foucault Musical Library the next day for "The Library" / "Blood Rite" scene amalgamation. Here the Paladin and Druid got a chance to "investigate" these librarians more (now all under the tainted guise of cult-vampirism) and dialogue directly with Draycott Foucault himself. He encouraged the PCs to leave the spell book behind for further study, but they demurely declined. Nonetheless, they DID overhear murmurings of a "secret meeting" scheduled to take place in the basement at midnight! After sharing all this information with Van Richten & Werner, Van Richten is *convinced* he's correct now - and this "mysterious meeting" in the basement of the Foucault Musical Library at midnight is the focus de'jour.

Sure enough, the Druid sneaks in later that night - witnesses the "Blood Rite" ritual as discussed in the module - and *fails* his damn Horror Check (compounding the Obsession he already has with vampires). Sure enough, all Hell breaks loose when the Druid's cover is revealed and the other PCs must rush in for the save. Surprisingly (to the PCs) the white robed cultists are easy to cut through. They don't give much of a fight, and most wind up fleeing in terror when action really starts heating up. But it's enough time for Draycott to escape - the Library to suffer some collateral damage - and the PCs to capture one of the cultists, where they smuggle him into the Stranger's Haven flophouse in Lower Karg to interrogate him (see Gazetteer Volume 2).

This gives the PCs (alongside Van Richten and Werner) time to "Test for Vampires", as included in the module. Nothing from confronting the scared bard/cultist with holy symbols, to mirror or garlic revealed he was a vampire. Only that the cult was called "the Seekers" and they're seeking immortality. At this point, things are getting really intense with all kinds of private note-passing and other paranoia (encouraged as a "Terror Tip" in this adventure) between PCs as to what they are truly observing - and what some of their allies might be concealing. This kind of thing had been playing out slowly since the beginning of the adventure (with all the PCs doing their own stuff) but now I'm really amping up the effect. It almost got so heated between my Paladin and Monk (real brothers who get into real fights all the time, LOL) that I had to relent and break the tension.

THAT'S when the Barbarian of all people realized Werner was using a concealed wand of some type (a "Wand of Truth", Werner insisted) - but when the Barbarian donned the magical glasses he had recovered from one of the mugs that tried to jump him and the Monk before they left Il Aluk - the truth about Werner was revealed. In my mind, setting up this scene beforehand, for some reason all I could think of was the movie "THEY LIVE" with Rowdy Roddy Piper. So that's what I imagined these glasses would do at exactly this moment when I first introduced them as a random find among the battered would-be robbers). Of COURSE the Barbarian fails his Horror check though (as suggested by the module), and the PCs are temporarily unable to rely on his battle prowess. Meanwhile, now outed, Werner drops all pretenses of his illusion and does the "IT WAS ME, Van Richten! IT WAS ME ALL ALONG!" big-bad-guy speech. Including bitter & vile details about *HOW* he actually killed poor Werner before assuming his form and tricking Van Richten into killing 3 innocent bards! Shock! Horror! Then... RAGE!!

Battle rages! Vassalich against half a PC party! Finally the Barbarian got his stuff together and helped rage the players to victory - "destroying" the Vassalich known as Werner - but also severely damaging the inn and surrounding area. In the end, Van Richten sadly informs the players that this is far from finished (liches = phylacteries so the Vassalich is not truly "dead"), even though they may have stopped this evil plot for now. Many loose ends left -

A seriously moribund Van Richten must now atone for his atrocious actions, as revealed in the module's epilogue. But also as specified, this gives the PCs a chance to see what a TRUE Hero of Light acts like and believes in. Even in the face of unspeakable tragedy. Speaking of which - the Druid is now *messed up* from a Ray of Enfeeblement in that last battle with the Vassalich - and is now in need of drastic recovery time. Van Richten says maybe 30 days or longer. So he set them up with a local contact in lower Karg who would offer shelter & protection for the Druid while he recovered. This gave me the idea to freestyle a temporary character change for the player, and asked if he wanted to play a "Hero of Light" or a "Champion of Darkness" for now. He said "Champion of Darkness" so we went with it.

I introduced him as "Bandersnatch", the young Halfling Rogue who became an underworld ally of our Gnome Rogue when he was off-scene researching the dagger he stole from Il Aluk. Bandersnatch is mentioned in Gazetteer Volume 2 as a criminal guild leader - but he's not quite up to that point in this timeline. Nonetheless, it's a little bit of that foreshadowing stuff that I love. *IF* the Player had chosen "Hero of Light" instead, I was thinking of having him come in as "Teodorus Raines" - the pious cleric of Ezra who probably failed a Madness Check during the Grand Conjunction and is now in Darkon spreading "fire and brimstone" warnings of a coming apocalypse he calls the "Time of Unparalleled Darkness" (see Gazetteer Volume 2). Either way, the Druid PC has a new temporary PC and they've got at least 30 days to figure out the dagger, the spell books and what's REALLY going on in the basement of the Foucault Musical Library at midnight.

Alot of stuff happens. The Paladin stakes out the now-temporarily closed Musical Library but can't get back into the basement. The surviving Draycott Foucault reappears and is adamant about following up with the PCs about their mysterious necromantic spellbook (thinking maybe THIS is the final key he's always been searching for). Draycott and my Paladin set up a dinner meeting in a well-populated area in Upper Karg that is rife with political subterfuge and casual misdirection. Draycott knows the Paladin was responsible for the "raid" on his Library during the Blood Rite ritual in the basement while the Paladin knows Draycott (while not vampiric himself) certainly aligns his morals with those demonic creatures. Yet he must delicately tapdance through the whole encounter because of Draycott's hand-picked location for their meeting (full of innocent victims everywhere). But in the end, Draycott (ever the celebrity) begins an impromptu performance (encouraged by nearby fans who recognize him) that culminates in a beautiful magical mandolin solo. To the player's horror, his Paladin character is temporarily charmed and GIVES the spellbook to Draycott! Success! But as soon as the Paladin left that meeting with a smile on his face, you know Draycott whispered "finish him" to his underlings.

Meanwhile I'm screwing the Monk & Barbarian characters over by leaving them with the leftover hostage (to kill or not to kill?) But the weasely little scholar bargains with them for mercy by promising to introduce them to a friend who can properly attune their new Wand of Illusion for them. Of course they accept, the hostage brings them to the slums of lower Karg, where they wind up blowing the whistle and alerting local authorities to the PCs whereabouts (WANTED for damage done to the Strangers Haven and surrounding area). So the cops come, the Monk can escape but not the Barbarian, and eventually the Barbarian is negated & captured - soon to be transported to the "Black Hole" prison in Karg. Instead, I used the opportunity to beat up the Barbarian in captivity a bit - and introduce the Monk to a wonderful feature of the Darkonian authorities called "the bribe". My excuse to lighten the ridiculous load of material wealth my PCs had acquired from recent adventures. So now the Barbarian is "free" - though angry & pummelled - and their character wealth is back to a manageable level. Success!

All the while, Bandersnatch & the Gnome Rogue are running around in the underbelly of the city trying to understand the mystery of the stolen dagger and figure out how to destroy those damn spellbooks from Meredoth (I think there were 7 total, as included in Ship of Horrors - though one of them now resides in Draycott Foucout's possession). Tension is mounting and word of an unearthly volcanic opening in the Mountains of Misery may prove to be their answer (as the spell books seem immune to normal means of destruction).

Eventually once again we collide all the individual storyline threads into one big Mash-Up - the Draycott charm on the Paladin is broken when he's jumped - the Barbarian is freed - and the halfling/gnome criminal combo are able to arrange transport to the Mountain of Misery through the miners guild. The PCs stalk Draycott down to his palatial estate outside Il Aluk and finish him off after a climatic battle in his private quarters (I think the module assumes the PCs defeat Draycott in the original Blood Ritual scene in the basement of the Musical Library in Karg, but he got away in our version). But now the PCs put an exclamation point on Draycott (though they never recover that one spell book) and escape Il Aluk without Draycott's men or the thieves guild they stole the dagger from finding them. The Druid recovers - Bandersnatch stays in Karg - and the rest of the PCs rush off to the Mountains of Misery where they hope to destroy the rest of evil spell books once and for all.

Along the way, I gave them all kinds of miner horror stories about mysterious happenings and sightings within the Mountains of Misery and allowed the Gnome Rogue to discuss his findings about the dagger. Apparently it's not magical, despite it's highly-exquisite nature. But the dagger *IS* said to be a copy, or clever forgery of a *real* magic item - something called "the Fang of Nosferatu". Said to have originated in Vallachan and to be the subject of much myth and rumor. It's assumed the thieves guild in Il Aluk commissioned this forgery to try to sell it off to an unwitting or naive buyer. Anyway, the horror stories from the miners prove to be more than just that - the PCs make into some of the tunnels in Mountains of Misery - but of course all Hell breaks loose. It's all Shadow Rift / dark Pixie stuff but my players don't know that yet. More foreshadowing for sure, but now there are more pressing issues. Namely the wild "Alien"-esque chase through the winding mine tunnels and rising walls of Mist that seperate, discombobulate and ultimately engulf the stranded PCs completely. Unbeknownst to them, the effigy dagger acts like an unholy beacon - drawing the PCs into the Mists - where they are sure to unravel the TRUTH behind the Fang of Nosferatu... or die trying!

Next up -

"HOUR of the KNIFE!"

Stay tuned!!

[MadStepDad]

So there we have it. Up to current day campaign. About to embark on Hour of the Knife cuz I think that happens in 742 on the timeline. I haven't even finished reading the whole thing yet LOL

Has anybody played this before? I watched some Jack the Ripper stuff to get pumped and are amazed at the meticulous attention to detail in this module. Almost an exact carbon copy of the real life crimes. Very interesting. The upcoming doppelganger replacement scenes should be fun, despite doing something similar already during "The Created". So any thoughts/ suggestions/ recommendations for this adventure? We start this Thursday night!

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

haven't caught up on the recaps, but have you checked out our Zherisia gazetteer and VRS:Doppelgangers netbooks? Some great stuff in there that could help spice up Hour of the Knife. (I know, it's not much time before you start to read two giant netbooks, but...)
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Libr ... etteer.pdf
http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/Libr ... ganger.zip

[Lord_Pruitt]

"Thank you, old friend! I came back because I need your help. I'm almost up to present-day in my campaign, so I'm hoping y'all might be able to help me coordinate a good strong adventure timeline heading up to the Grim Harvest. I know I have to include "Death of Van Richten" somewhere in here too. I have some ideas obviously, but I've been out of the Ravenloft bubble so long I know I'm probably missing some really obvious stuff. As it is - let the story continue! Last chapter before current day!"


Wow .... fantastic story thus far (true MSD style I must say), but I'm at a loss as to the Grim Harvest. But fear not! I shall re-read it this weekend and provide random brainstorming thoughts sunday/monday.

[Lord_Pruitt]

Some ideas for your campaign MSD - I skimmed thru the Grim Requiem adventures, and have a few ideas for you.
Death Unchained - the blood blades that the Ebon Fold uses to steal life force are perhaps generic copies of the Fang of the Nosferatu? (que Hour of the Knife as a testing ground?) And maybe replace the crystal skulls with something more appropriate? (don't know what, yet, though)

Death Ascendant - the gypsy fortune teller Vito ( a male vistani that can read the Tarroka? Kinda makes him a Dukkar doesn't it?), perhaps change his fortune telling into a mechanic like in the original I6 module. Which will be related to the next idea ....

Death Triumphant - perhaps make the Doomsday Device an advanced version of the Apparatus from the I10 module. Course, there will have to be versions of the Rod of Rastinon, Soul Searcher Medallion, and the Ring of Reversion (which could be a part of the dukkar's fortune telling from the previous adventure).

So, some tie-in ideas for Hour of the Knife - perhaps one or two members of the Ebon Fold show up there to try out their generic Fangs (blood blades) - and instead of just one slasher, the PCs have two or three to muddle the mix. And perhaps the PCs get one of these experimental blades to study, but the Ebon Fold wants it back. Could even mix the Ebon Fold in the Bleak House story-line, trying to re-claim their dagger.

OR - Lowellyn Dachine wants the original Fang of the Nosferatu to help power his Infernal Machine (scaled down version of Azalin's advanced Apparatus/Doomsday Device) in Death Ascendant.

Maybe even put a Castles Forlorn effect in Death Triumphant, combining it with some time-travel back to I10 - giving the PCs some history between Azalin & Strahd, and maybe even allowing them to bring back one of the original pieces (Rod, Ring &/or Medallion) with them to try and stop the Doomsday Device.

I'll contemplate on this further and let you know if I have anymore weird ideas.

[MadStepDad]

HOUR OF THE KNIFE
[part 1]

Yes, Gonzoron! That's exactly what I'm looking for! Thank you very much! I've downloaded them both.

Lord P, these are some really good thoughts. Something juicy to sink into. I'll show you how I will incorporate this as the sessions unfold. I'm currently 2 sessions down in "Hour of the Knife" with probably 2 more to finish it out (missed a week due to Holiday). It's wild already and I need this to formulate my penpad of insane scribbles into something comprehensible in hindsight.

I jumped into this adventure because of timeline purposes (realizing I'm in 742) and to keep up my grand Red Box Tour of the realms that will all culminate in the Grim Harvest (come 750). I don't think I really understood the magnitude of *ten years game time* when I first formulated the campaign, but oh well here we are! So again, I'll probably be making judicious use of the "Domain Turn" rule (3 months game time) as time progresses. Upon review of this module further, I believe this point (Paridon, 13th killing, my Sherlock Holmes boxed set, maybe Alanik Ray (?), the homebrewed Zherisia stuff Gonzoron hooked me up with, plus the smattering of storyline hooks at the conclusion of this module) would be a perfect place to take an extended "break". In-game, of course. I'll tell you what I mean in a moment. But first, welcome to the fog-filled streets of Paridon - which have greeted our disoriented band of adventurers with dark cobblestone alleys and looming shadows. Miracle of all coincidences, I had our Gnome Rogue's fake dagger suddenly & inexplicabley glow a pulsasting red color - like a beacon or homing device. This random pick-up from a prior adventure might serve a bigger purpose after all...


NIGHT ONE

Lo and behold, the PCs *just happen* to stumble upon (be led to?) the gruesome "FIRST VICTIM" scene! In this case, the PCs actually witness the killer in action - 2 of them specifically (the coach driver and then the actual knife-wielder himself). In both cases, PC's saw the attackers faces - and even recognized the killer's dagger as being very familiar... an exact copy of our Gnome Rogue's stolen dagger! The quickest PCs (monk & druid) give chase with our Barbarian in foot pursuit as well. While they are unable to catch the carriage as it raced away, I did have opportunity to "separate" the Barbarian from the others during the chase (which means he can be "killed" and "taken over" by a Doppleganger assassin off-stage, per this module). Meanwhile the others had a chance to check out the dead body and encounter Inspector Andrew Logan, chief Inspector of the Paridon Guard. From here we segued to the Twin Sons Pub scene where we spent the rest of the night roleplaying, introducing the various townsfolk from the module sidebar and gossipping about the horrible "true" nature of these slayings (they appear to be a recurring trend every 13 years, with that same anniversary falling TONIGHT. Also there will be 6 killings on 6 consecutive nights, if history is any indication. Tonight was the first). PCs are drawn into the mystery and wind up staying at the "Twilight Yawn Lodging House" with their new friend (and owner of the Twilight Yawn) Koth Rigsby... but not before being SNEAK-ATTACKED by a mysterious mustachioed assassin who STABBED our Gnome rogue PC with a poisoned knife and fled into the fog! It was the coachman they witnessed at the scene of the killing just a few hours earlier! Once again, some of the PCs gave chase but were unable to catch him when he bound off the alleyway walls and spider-climbed to the maze of Black Chapel rooftops!

NEXT DAY

The entire city is on high alert. I gave the PCs plenty of options to pursue in anticipation of tonight (and Bloody Jack's attempted second kill). Some of the PCs went to a women's meeting where they met Felicia Sweet and heard some of their defense recommendations. Others went to the metal workers guild with the butcher Hoag van Render where they are working on a mechanical golem lure to trap Bloody Jack (!) The Monk & Barbarian visited the Temple of the Divine Form while still others partnered up with Inspector Andrew Logan and the Paridon Guard to learn of their preparations for the night. Finally as midnight is approaching, tons of false alarms are popping up everywhere (this is all in the module). So many in fact, that the PCs completely miss the killing as the church bells toll midnight. Eventually the victim is discovered by Paridon guards, who alert others with their whistle calls (before succumbing to apparent failed Horror checks judging by their reaction to the mutilated body). The incisions are clean and professional, with several internal organs neatly removed. PCs & Inspector Andrew Logan go over a list of potential suspects based on occupation and physical description - remember, the PCs are the only people to have actually *seen* Bloody Jack in the act.



NEXT DAY

Occupational searches abound as PCs chase down clues to the killer's identity, while trying to discreetly pinpoint the relevance of the Gnome Rogue's stolen dagger. There's a whole slew of roleplaying goodness included in this module as the PCs get to know each character closer, including their motivations, theories and relationship with each other (there's a minor feud detailed between butchers in the city for example, one of whom is a frequent visitor to the Twin Sons Pub where the PCs do much of their congregating). By the time we near midnight on the night of the 3rd victim, everybody knows their role/location/goal. In this case, more minor distractions abound (including an accidental detonation of a "Magic Mouth" spell the Temple of Divine Form had installed) - before the PCs fall victim to another assassination attempt. This time some of the PCs were with Inspector Andrew Logan on patrol, when they were desperately approached by a female "stabbing victim" just before midnight. Sure enough the lady was a plant, and she *POKES* one of the PCs with a poisoned hat pin before attempting to escape. Inspector Logan chased her down, while another PC tried to capture a *second attacker* they witnessed in the nearby alley. They were unsuccessful in capturing the mystery attacker but once again he looked like that pesky coachman they've been pursuing since Night One. BUT - the Barbarian did come away with a prime "Shred of Evidence" in the form of a piece of torn cloak left behind by the attacker during his pursuit.

During all this fracas, as the church bell tolled midnight - and the body of our poor 3rd victim (Sandra Bartello) was found on the steps of a giant hall where over four-dozen local merchants were hosting a "vigilance committee" meeting. Despite all these potential witnesses (or suspects) nobody saw or reported anything. It's also clear there may be two or more killers working in unison, as the "false attack" assassination attempt happened too close to the midnight bell toll to have been the same person who meticulously mutilated our 3rd victim, Sandra Bertello at the same time.



NEXT DAY

PCs are eager to learn more about the piece of torn cloak, and visit local seamstress Ire McMoran who gives them her list of people who purchased that type of cloak recently (this handout is included in the module). At this point, the PCs have become quite ingrained with many aspects of lower Paridon and it's residents. They are all meticulously detailed in this module, including Ozzie Rasputen and Treech Gallant (the leader of secret Thieves guild) who became a major sidebar focal point of our Gnome Rogue PC and his stolen dagger. All the while, Chief Inspector Andrew Logan is keeping a close eye on the PCs research, and concludes through deduction that their #1 Suspect is a gentleman named Wolfgang Arturus - a local physician with a black mustache, surgical precision and a known temperament with the ladies. Inspector Logan convinces the PCs to accompany him on the arrest right away (alongside Constable Wortle, the naive underling NPC who accompanies some of the players when Inspector Logan is unavailable).

This led to "Confronting the Doctor", as included in the module - and the slow reveal that *something* wasn't right with good Dr Wolfgang Arturus, even if it's not exactly what the PCs were looking for. Of course all Hell breaks loose during the battle scene. It's the reveal of a gosh-darn WOLFWERE after all, so our Barbarian is quickly nullified (the result of a failed Horror Check way back during "The Awakening"). Eventually, the PCs (with the help of Inspector Logan) take down Wolfgang Arturus and have restrained & arrested. A couple of things happen from here - almost immediately after the arrest, Inspector Logan is called away by another Paridon guard. Apparently "a member of the nobility is involved in a - never mind! Could you help Constable Wortle escort Dr. Arturus to the guardhouse?" Inspector Logan asks. "All my guards, except the two I must leave in the guardhouse, are out on patrol and cannot be recalled". So he turns the subdued and handcuffed Dr Arturus over to the PCs and Constable Wortle, along with the "evidence" Inspector Logan gathered that points to Arturus as being the "Bloody Jack" killer (something the "good doctor" vehemently denies).

Now, the PCs were already suspicious of Inspector Logan (particularly my Paladin PC, who insisted on following up with the would-be woman assassin who was arrested by Logan the night before) only to find out she mysteriously "died in custody". Now, as the Paladin PC, Druid & Constable Wortle bring Dr Arturus to jail - the good Doctor keeps cryptically mentioning things about the Inspector like "he doesn't smell right". Meanwhile, the Gnome PC bumps into Ire McMoran back at the Twin Sons Pub who tells him that shortly after the PCs left her shop with the cloak shred - somebody from the Paridon guard came in with the same cloak - same missing piece and all - to be repaired "for the boss". Now it's a race against time to reach the Paridon guard house before the other PCs and warn them of the potential treachery they may be walking into.

WHEW!

I think that's about it. That's where we left off. Tonight we will be opening with the Battle of the Paridon Guard, where Inspector Logan will be revealed and the PCs will have their first face-to-face encounter with a Ravenloft Doppleganger! Assuming they survive this encounter, there will probably be much-needed research done on this "doppleganger" thing (cue another notable module NPC, S.H.Williby). Meanwhile the big fallout from the defeat of Inspector Logan and the dread reveal of Doppleganger infestation. The church will be theologically involved. Nayth Crickshaw will be elevated to acting Paridon Captain. And of course - victim #4 falls tonight. Sadly, it will be an NPC closely familiar with the PCs from the last few days.

Couple of things -

Our Monk has a Ring of Mind Shielding, from a prior adventure. I want to incorporate this into the adventure more, as it does make him immune to their scrying and ESP powers. BUT I've also late-game decided to revise the big "DOPPLEGANGER KILLS YOU ALL" reveal. I went back and forth with this one, but after an off-game discussion with my oldest son I decided it's not a good idea right now - especially since we did something pretty similar already during "the Created" (killing the PCs and stealing their bodies). So I think I may drop that aspect, and just have the PCs encounter Sodo in the sewer under some other pretense. Not completely sure yet. Also, the stolen dagger of my Gnome PC that I keep juggling around. I've revealed that it is a replica of a REAL magic item known as the "Fang of Nosferatu", which they will quickly come to find out is the actual murder weapon used in the Bloody Jack sprees. Somehow I want to incorporate this into the grand finale.

The module details a few options for what could happen at the end of the adventure, including this tidbit - "if the PCs can recover the fang of Nosferatu from Sodo's henchmen and destroy it they can end the murders forever"). WELLLLLLL... what if the PCs somehow use the fake dagger to trick Sodo at the end? They buy themselves some more time, as they scramble wildly to find a way to destroy the highly potent magical item. I could squeeze a few more adventures out of that, plume the hell out of the resources Gonzoron linked, all the while having the PCs deal with a super-powered cursed item in their midst. Eventually Sodo will realize the forgery and all Hell will break loose. I'm thinking this could be a cool opportunity to kill some more in-game time / rebuild the new Paridon / use my old Sherlock Holmes boxed set for more random stuff. My PCs keep fondly reminiscing about Odiare because they "won" that game, and were heroes of the town. What if I recreate that magic a bit in Paridon, where the PCs can take a vested interest in rebuilding the community after revealing packs of wolfweres/ jackleweres / and dopplegangers preying on the people? Just a few random thoughts I'm spinning around. Wish me luck. I'm always open to suggestions. Peace.

[end transmission]

[MadStepDad]

HOUR of the KNIFE (climax)

Time within the Mistz has no meaning. I stand upon the precipice of a new dawn yet again, but first I must gaze back at the smoldering wreckage of my past. Namely - the demise of my Red Box Juniors Campaign and how this particular module played a major part. Let me lay it out as far as my recollection will take us.

Reading these prior campaign notes are daunting. Too much info too many NPC's too many shenanigans crammed into one tight place. I even went back to my campaign notebook and it was a confusing swirl of crude handwriting & NPC names. Again this adventure details the Hell out of Paridon and most of the inhabitants; enough to run a sizable mini-campaign here. In fact, that's pretty much what we did. Treech Gallant, "the red headed mustached thug" and his secret Thieves guild ("the Rusty Daggers") practically stole the show as NPCs when I shamelessly bit Peaky Blinders for inspiration. They were a whole source of sidebar chaos with our Gnome Rogue and his mysterious magical dagger. This also grew to be a source of real-life contention with my oldest son/Paladin RVP when he didn't appreciate how much the Gnome player seemed to be embracing the evil. In retrospect maybe I shouldn't have encouraged the deviation so much, but I was thinking of Dark Power checks and how the pursuit of power can subtly change PCs for the worse. Which was totally my intention - to really show these kids evil will always get its comeuppance in the end. But in the meantime, the Gnome Rogue player is thoroughly enjoying his illicit romps away from the other players.

Meanwhile my youngest son (Sonyo the Monk) became embroiled in the inner politics of the Temple of Divine Form. The only state-sanctioned religion in the domain, these guys are rocked by the revelation of dopplegangers in the region and a philosophical rift develops between. With Sonyo caught right in the middle.

Speaking of politics, our little pacifist Druid got real caught up in the local political scene. Of course our noble Druid had very valid, good natured reasons for doing this but was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer corruption of the entire system. I had a blast using all kinds of intrigue, backstabbing and black swan events to paint an explosive (sometimes literally) picture. Anyways...

When we last left off, some of the PCs were tasked with bringing the arrested (and framed murder suspect) Dr Arturus to the guardhouse where it was slowly revealed through the course of role-playing (and investigating the Inspector's private office) that Inspector Logan was involved in the slayings. So when the Inspector finally returned to the guard house and the PCs confronted him all Hell broke loose. A climatic battle revealed Logan/the Coachman as SUDJI... a Ravenloft Doppleganger! Yikes! Even upon his killing blow, the Doppleganger Sudji cries out - "I am but the elder's servant! Even if you kill me, my clan will avenge me!" GASP! So there's MORE!?

In an emergency elevation, Nayth Crickshaw was elected acting Inspector and set in motion a plan to *delay* the midnight tolling (superstitiously believing no midnight toll will stop the killing). Instead it confuses the poor townsfolk who have no idea of the time significance and are easily caught slipping. Namely, poor Mariel (wife of Koth Rigsby) who had been a familiar face to the PCs during their stay. Mariel was murdered at the un-tolled stroke of midnight and both her hands severed from her body. When the PCs went alone to investigate the murder scene, they were AMBUSHED by Sir Edmund's coachman BARDAN the jackalwere and some of his pack!

THE NEXT DAY

We've cultivated a bit of a "sandbox" feel to this setting, despite this module's rigidity. So I've been able to work a variety of cut scenes and separate angles with different groups of chracters. The PCs suffer through the Doppleganger Koth attack, and survive "The Fifth Victim" scene in which they catch the killer(s) in action, just like they did on Day 1. While some PC's are examining the 5th victim (call girl Charlotte O'Doul) they found fragments of an invitation letter to a big party. The remaining wax seal identified the party location as Bloodsworth Estates. Bardan is involved in the attack but manages to flee the scene with the help of another vicious jackalwere pack. A big roof-top city chase leads into the sewers where the killer finally escaped - but not before some of the PCs have their big "Encounter with Evil" as detailed in the module. Again, I chose not to go the "kill all PCs and turn them into dopplegangers" route as the module mandates, because we already did something similar to that body horror in The Created. Instead, this was another one of those slippery slope decisions by our Gnome Rogue PC that would help doom our entire campaign. Here the Gnome PC came face to face with ol "Flicker Flame" himself (SODO - the freaking DARKLORD of Zherisia!) It was here, whispered in the darkness to ears eager to listen, Sodo revealed the true nature of the blade he calls "FANG of the NOSFERATU"! Our Gnome PC was entranced and made a Dark Bargain to help retrieve the REAL blade on behalf of Sodo. All these different threads together - brought my group of PCs to one course of action: Bloodhaven, the estate of Sir Edmund Bloodsworth!

Cut to the "Bloody Blade" chapter of the module where the end is near. Bardan and his group of wild jackalweres play a part in the "Hunter and Prey" segment leading up the Carriage House. The rest plays out like a bit of a Dungeon Crawl as they examine the Carriage House quarters all while being stalked by Bardan. Eventually they use a magical silver chain they found in the carriage house bedroom (being used to bind a poor confused werewolf named Allysha) to nullify Bardan's jackalwere shapechange and slay the right-hand villain. This maze-like series of encounters brings them all the way through the Carriage house and onto the grounds of Bloodhaven itself - on the very night of Sir Edmund Bloodsworth's big gala event. This climatic series of encounters is detailed in the module and led to many moments of interesting roleplay and conflict (as now each player was operating with slightly different goals and motivations). But mostly because the other PCs knew the Gnome Rogue made SOME kind of secret devilish decision, they just weren't sure WHAT. Which is actually a brilliant gaming atmosphere, if you have older, more mature players who could handle that. Instead, my Paladin PC started to get a bit disgruntled believing the Gnome was violating the spirit of the game by willingly embracing evil.

The Bloodhaven Estate chapter is a mini-campaign in itself, with all the rooms, distractions and varied angles of Sir Edmond Bloodsworth. He is determined to celebrate the slaying of his final victim tonight at any cost. The PCs and Bloodsworth stalk each other like a deadly game of cat n mouse through a huge gala ball filled with innocents and hidden dopplegangers alike. The paranoia is off the charts. Eventually Bloodsworth attempts an escape through a secret trap door in the cellar of Bloodhaven that leads to the twisted sewers of Paridon down below. "Into The Sewers" is our thrilling climax as the PCs chase Bloodsworth and fend off his last remaining doppleganger loyalists. The Barbarian and Monk PCs fell to 0 HP and were forced to roll climatic Death Saves as the Paladin tried to finish Bloodsworth off. Midnight tolled with Bloodsworth desperately trying to murder our Paladin PC (to make him the final victim) only to have the Gnome PC save the day (while secretly switching out his fake dagger for the real thing). Bloodsworth managed one last desperate escape, where our Druid PC shapechanged to give chase... only to witness the most insane finishing sequence in campaign history. Like a steam engine locomotive, Sir Edmund Bloodsworth was mowed down by a prehistoric/alien-like MONSTER the likes of which our Druid had never seen in his life! The creature literally engulfed Bloodsworth and dragged him kickin and screaming to his doom down a dark sewer tunnel! The Druid PC was STUNNED! Little did he know he just had his first brief encounter with the terrifying might of the MARIKITH! (stay tuned for more on that soon).

To cap off the adventure, our Gnome PC finalized his Deal with the Devil in a cut scene that left us with some thrilling cliffhangers. The Monk, Barbarian and Paladin characters were revived ("resurrected" technically by Sodo as described in the module) and the Fang of Nosferatu finally made its way into the hands of Sodo... or DID IT?! Is it possible to outwit a Darklord!? Or will Evil overpower all!? Find out soon as MSD's Ravenloft Juniors Campaign continues with a HOMEBREWED ADVENTURE!

[Lord_Pruitt]

That was a couple of super-long sequences there old friend

[alhoon]

I am glad to see you still around, please continue sharing.

[Solan]

Many thanks for posting these accounts of your adventures! I'm looking forward to the terrifying conclusion, which I'm going to guess involves the Paladin going head-to-head with the Nosferatu Fang-wielding Gnome . . .