🕯️👻🧟 Session 03

Seeking Father Faint, the party became trapped in the cursed manor at 25 Hollow Bend Road, its decay animated by dark energies. The ghost-teens Rosevalda and Thornbolt guided them into the catacombs below.

In the depths, Brak Hansen was ambushed by a lurking Grick, narrowly escaping with help from Riggs. Chaos followed—Varos withdrew, Riggs struck back with fire, and darkness closed in.

Fleeing the creature, the group heard another battle begin. Doubling back, they discovered Father Faint locked in combat with the Grick. Reunited, they slew the beast. Faint, visibly shaken, asked if any party members remained outside. Learning all had entered, he led them to a hidden bedchamber once used by Elizabeth Durst and Gustav during breaks from their unspeakable rites.

There he explained that the house is not just haunted—it is awakening, seemingly in response to people entering it. According to a woman named Maureen, the house begins to stir as more people arrive, suggesting a sentient, reactive quality. When the players arrived, shadows began to move, and the front door disappeared, trapping them in what seems like an otherworldly loop.

He describes reading a diary by Gustav Durst, co-owner of the house along with his wife Elizabeth. The diary, along with religious insight, helped him piece together a disturbing theory. Gustav believed that souls are drawn from the Astral Plane into living beings and should return there upon death. But 1,500 souls went missing 500 years ago, never returning to the Astral Plane.

Gustav theorized that these people had achieved immortality. Convinced of this, the Dursts sought to replicate it, ultimately turning to worship of a being called Von Zarovich—whom they came to believe was a god capable of granting eternal life. To earn his favor, they began performing human sacrifices in a secret chamber beneath the house.

After years of failed attempts to contact Von Zarovich, Gustav grew desperate. His last diary entry described a final ritual meant to bind Von Zarovich to his will. The cult gathered in the basement for this attempt, while the Dursts locked their children in the attic to “keep them safe.” Those children ultimately starved to death, and the ritual resulted in the house being trapped between planes—caught in a kind of spiritual recursion where its past and present collapse together.

Now, those who enter cannot leave—trapped in a revolving doorway between worlds. Father Faint suggests three possible ways out:

1. Wait for someone new to approach the house from outside and escape through the opening created by the children.
2. Complete Gustav’s final ritual, potentially unjamming the planar lock.
3. Convince the ghost children to let them go, though they seem incapable of understanding anything beyond what they knew in life.

He closes by indicating that he prefers taking action over wasting away, urging the party to choose a path before hope fades.

The party decided to attempt the ritual Gustav began. Descending deeper into the catacombs, the chanting they'd been hearing grew louder. A partially flooded chamber awaited, blocked by a lowered portcullis. With clever use of a grappling hook and the party’s combined effort, they triggered the mechanism and entered the ritual chamber.

Suddenly, the chanting stopped.

When Varos approached the octagonal dais and touched it, ghostly robed figures holding torches of black fire emerged from the walls—alongside the disembodied spirit of Gustav Durst. They began to chant: "One must die."

Then the stakes escalated. Gustav's ghost merged with Father Faint, possessing him. Driven by a malevolent spirit, he turned against the party. The chant thundered through the chamber. .

As the final chant faded, a mound of fused, writhing flesh rose from the muck—a nightmarish amalgam of every cultist and sacrifice, limbs twisted and faces screaming silently, tentacles groping blindly. The very walls of the house recoiled from its presence.

As the final echoes of the cult’s chant faded, a mound of writhing, fused flesh lurched to life from the filth — a living monument to despair, formed from the merged bodies of every cultist and sacrifice offered over the years. Twisted limbs and anguished faces jutted from its pulsing mass, eyes blinking and mouths silently screaming as sinewy tentacles reached hungrily for warmth. Each movement strained the very walls of the house, as if the structure itself recoiled in horror. Before the party loomed not just a monster, but the grotesque embodiment of the cult’s failure—a nightmare born of desperation for immortality, demanding confrontation or consumption.

🕯️👻🏚️🌲Session 02

Brak, Varos, Riggs, and Chut found themselves wandering the desolate corridors of an estate that seemed to shift between vibrant and decayed on a whim. Their quest to find Father Faint began with a thrilling encounter: two teenagers claiming to have been locked out of their home, their cries for help echoing through the halls. As they ventured deeper, they stumbled upon secrets better left undisturbed—the skeleton of an unfortunate soul, trapped within a chest of treasures and letters from a foreboding figure known only as Strahd von Zarovich.

After deciphering a cryptic letter filled with declarations of power and domination, the tension grew as the party's surroundings began to change. The once-familiar skyline of Waterdeep had devolved into a dark forest, casting doubt and dread over the adventurers. Racing against growing unease, they chose to unearth the house's secrets further.

In the dark corners of this cursed abode, brimming with paranoia, Brak and Riggs noticed a chilling tug of atmosphere—ghostly whispers lingered as they ventured deeper and opened yet another door, exposing the tight grip of mortality; for within, the specters of the two teenagers they had met earlier lay alongside their skeletal remains. “They’re not supposed to be in here,” warned the ghostly figures of Rosevalda Durst and Thornbolt Durst, rising from their beds, their rotted skeletons still holding one another in the center of the floor. Their eyes were hollow yet pleading, urging the party to heed their warning but also begging them not to leave.

The children mentioned that if the players were there for one of their parents' parties—held in the basement—they should go below. They guided the party to a secret passage: a spiral staircase descending from the attic, spiraling down several floors into the catacombs beneath the house.

As they ventured downward, Riggs lit a torch. Trembling whispers beckoned them forward. Rallying their collective courage, they discovered a pitch-black well, a ruined mess hall, and—hidden in an alcove—a furious Grick. It attacked with gnashing teeth and violent tendrils, leaving Brak wounded.

🏚️Session 01

In the shadowy edges of Waterdeep, beneath the flickering arches of the Faint of Heart tavern, Brak, Varos and Riggs passed the time with fading patience. Their mysterious colaborator, Father Eldrick Faint, had promised another job but never arrived. When Brak overheard a mention of Hollow Bend Road a supposedly long abandoned house and the target Faint had mentioned—they began to worry that the job, whatever it was, was about to be swept out from under them. But without a priest, their last jobs would’ve been impossible. If this one was the same, they were stuck.

Then the tavern door creaked open, revealing Chut Malindor, a priest with his own concerns. Faint had written to him too, saying he was investigating a house on Hollow Bend, only to have gone missing on the day he was scouting the place. Though strangers, their causes aligned: find Father Faint, and the riches or mysteries located at Hollow Bend Rd.

They arrived at the edge of a ruined neighborhood. Mold-blackened walls, fire-damaged buildings, the last daylight vanishing behind a gray sky. Outside the house sat two teens. The boy, bristling at being mistaken for a child, claimed they lived there at the supposedly abandoned house . His older sister, Rosavalda, mentioned being locked out again—something about her brother Thornboldts modeling glue and not being welcome during “another of their parents parties.” They also mentioned an unattended baby, was still inside.

Riggs surveyed the perimeter: dead buildings, shuttered windows, no light, no sound—no sign of the party the young adults claimed their parents, Gustav and Elizabeth Durst, were hosting.

With a nod, Chut led the way to the rusted gate. Brak and Riggs followed. Varos slipped away to scout the house’s edge, quiet and unseen.

Chut banged the knocker and called out: “God’s here! God wants to talk to you!” Riggs vanished into a hedge. Brak tried to follow but struck the fence instead, dazed and exposed.

No reply. The front door, oddly, was unlocked. Brak peeked inside: clean foyer, golden windmill emblem, stained-glass doors, polished floors. The contrast with the ruin outside was stark. Chut kicked the door open.

Inside, they stepped into a pristine hall lit by firelight. A red marble stair curled up toward the second floor. Vines and nymphs were carved into the wood—but there was no sound beyond the crackle of flame.

Brak crept up the stairs unseen, passing oil lamps and suits of armor. The Durst family portrait at the top showed the family younger, with a baby swaddled in Gustav’s arms. Varos scaled the outside wall toward a third-story balcony. Riggs followed Brak into the house, heading up the stairs.

Downstairs, Chut searched the hall, then examined the longsword above the fireplace—real, sharp, its hilt shaped like a lighthouse. Serpents and skulls were hidden among the floral carvings on the walls. He took the sword and moved into a spotless dining room, all fine silver and crystal—untouched. No dust. He circled back into the main hall.

Brak, still invisible, tapped Riggs’ fingers—their silent signal—then dashed north into a lush library. He found a windmill painting, noticed scrape marks, and tilted it aside. Click. A bookcase slid open. He crawled into the shadows, finding magical tomes and a claw-footed chest. A skeleton in leather armor slumped half inside it.

Outside, Varos reached the balcony which overlooked the sprawling city of Waterdeep, as the sun set. She slipped through a glass door into the master bedroom. Cobwebbed curtains, a moldy bed, stained-glass windows. This room, unlike the downstaris rooms, looked it’s age, abandoned, cobwebbed, and rotting. A younger portrait of the Dursts hung above the fireplace. In a silver jewelry box: three gold rings, and a platinum necklace with a topaz. She took them.

Riggs, hearing motion in the library, opened a nearby door into a servant’s quarters. A dumbwaiter stood open. She climbed in. The rope creaked, then groaned—and lifted her.

She emerged in the master bedroom beside Varos, she searched the wardrobes—just rotting clothes.

Downstairs, Chut stepped into a pristine kitchen. Neat rows of bottles, rolling pins, an empty pantry. Nothing stirred. He headed up the stairs. On the landing, he paused—something tugged at him. Not divine magic he recognized, but something else, strange and alive.

A tickle brushed his hand. Brak appeared beside him, letter in hand. He unrolled it: a note from Strahd von Zarovich, mocking Gustav Durst.

As Chut read, Riggs glanced out the upstairs window. The skyline of Waterdeep was gone.

Only darkness now. Endless woods.

📋 Session 0

I'll post session summaries here in the future, in case anyone needs to reffer back to something. Since Ryan had to leave the last session early, I wanted to share the character backstories that Neil, Dylan, and Terri created to help him figure out where he may fit. If I got anything wrong, let me know.

Characters

• Brak Hansen (he/him) - Neil
  • Lawful, Thief, Halfling foot pad (pickpocket)
  • Backstory: A little thief who grew up in the streets, Brak has a strong sense of justice and aims to steal from the rich to help the poor. Brak has a knack for charming his way through situations, and his charisma gives him an edge when dealing with others. He became known for his antics, such as using his small stature to sneak into places undetected.
• Varos (she/her) - Dylan
  • Neutral, Thief, Scholar
  • Backstory: Veros is a well-educated elven thief with a university background and a taste for the finer things. Though new to street life, she was drawn to the thrill of petty crime and high-stakes theft. Her skills in stealth and deception, combined with her ability to pass among the nobility, make her well-suited for slipping into elite spaces and walking out with something valuable. She steals not out of desperation, but to fund a life of comfort, indulgence, and eventual escape from the city.
• Riggs (she/her) - Terri
  • Chaotic, Wizard, Goblin
  • Backstory: Riggs grew up on the streets, surviving through street smarts, magic tricks, and petty cons. She honed her craft entertaining tavern crowds with illusions and sleight of hand, always on the lookout for a quick score or an easy mark. She sees herself as a gourmand—though she’s an terrible cook. Riggs thrives on chaos, misdirection, and the thrill of the con—stealing not out of need, but for fun, profit, and the excitement of getting away with it.

A Crew

Riggs and Brak have been working together for a while. Brak would act as lookout or play the planted “mark” in the audience. Riggs provides the distraction, Brak lifts the coin purse.

One night, at “The Cloak and Blade” tavern, they all, independently, attempted to rob the same bar on the same night—each in their own way. Brak was there as a pickpocket, Riggs was running a con with some sleight-of-hand magic, and Varos was sneaking into the manager’s office to steal a rare collectible. A bar brawl broke out, and Brak ended up saving Varos from taking a knife to the kidneys. The three of them fled together, ended up at another bar, swapped stories, and realized they made a good team.

Together, Varos, the fancy elf thief with a university background, brings access to higher society, where Brak and Riggs would never be allowed to go—they can convincingly pass as nobility, bluffing his way through parties and guarded manors.

Brak steals from the rich and gives to the poor (which in his mind includes himself and his friends) with a sense of justice, seeing himself as a do-gooder. Riggs steals for the chaos and the loot. Varos falls in the middle—more interested in comfort than causes.

They’ve only been working together for a couple of months, but they’re already finding their rhythm. They’ve had some small-time successes and are trying to grow their operation.

They’ve been trying to name their group, but every suggestion gets vetoed.

Where They’re at Now

When the campaign starts, they’ve been running jobs together off and on for a couple of months. Nothing big yet.

🧛🏻‍♂️ The Setting - Ravenloft

(A classic vampire hunt, gothic horror full of mystery, tragedy, and creeping dread—Ravenloft blends eerie tension with theatrical flair and spooky camp.)

We will start our story in a typical peaceful medieval location, but soon we will be swept away to...

The land of Barovia!

...which lives in the shadow of Castle Ravenloft, where Count Strahd von Zarovich rules over a village steeped in sorrow and fear. Wolves prowl the forests, bats swarm from the castle each night, and the townsfolk whisper of dungeons, treasures, and ancient horrors hidden within its walls. For as long as anyone can remember, Barovia has belonged to Strahd—and it will never be free until he is vanquished.

Think Dracula with the qurik of Batman Returns—not just grim, but dramatic, romantic, and sometimes bizarre and weird in the best way.

Where You Could Fit In

Ryan, all we know so far is that your character is a Priest—and that opens a lot of strange and cool doors.

Maybe you were in the middle of delivering a sermon when these three tore through your chapel mid-heist. Maybe you’ve been tailing them, convinced they're part of some divine vision—or a personal test. Maybe they stole something sacred, or maybe you're the only one who understands what they’ve stumbled into.

Come up with whatever you like!

You could be the kind of priest who wears bloodstained vestments and gives confession behind a velvet curtain in the back of a juce bar. Or someone who believes in redemption—but isn't afraid to crack skulls with a censer.

Whatever your decide, I think it would be fun to role play your character meeting the others in the first session. Importantly however, by the end of the first session (or earlier if you have an idea for it), your character needs a compelling reason to stay with this crew of thieves, cons, and chaos goblins. When the mists of Barovia rise, you’re not just caught in it together—you’re choosing to face it together.

If you have an idea for that let me know with enough time and we’ll work it into the first session. Gothic weirdness encouraged.

Keep in mind, your character may die and get replaced. So no need to come up with volumes of info, but feel free to have fun with as much or as little as you like.

📝 Homework

• Send me your character sheet: Please send me a copy of your completed character sheet. Ryan, you can do this either before our call tomorrow using the rule book, or I can walk you thru the rules during our call tomorrow. You can use the roll table in the book to come up with your name, or invent one yourself.
• Lines and Veils: Send me the things you’d rather not have in our game here, at least a week before we play next.