Curse of Strahd

The Curse of Strahd Adventure module created for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition has the players exploring the cursed land of Barovia and has them on a path to investigate the lord of the land, Strahd von Zarovich. The game started as an additional session alongside Crisis in Crisia, with Haiss debuting as DM.

The first session was uploaded to YouTube on 23rd February 2018, where the campaign ran semi-weekly and then irregularly until the adventure module ended with Session 32 on 7th April 2020.

## Cast

Dungeon Master: Haiss

Players:

* Sunny - Xyril Whatever
* Dan - Cade/Eirrel
* Dom\* - Aladin Alma/Jafar Alma/Izek Strani
* Matt\* - Asefa Steelstriker/Ichiro
* Arthur\* - Varyelle/Claw Rictovstein

\*Dom participated from the start until Session 16, Matt joined from Session 17, and Arthur joined from Session 18.

## Sessions

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Below are spoilers for the Curse of Strahd adventure module, as Haiss runs it. There might be differences in the game as it's played compared to what is written in the module at the whim of Haiss the Dungeon Master.

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### Death House

Curse of Strahd 1 - It'll Be Fine, Trust Me - Three figures emerge from the mists to an abandoned village with old, boarded-up buildings. As they try to make sense of their surroundings, two children make their presence known and ask for help dealing with a monster in their house up the road. Xyril, Cade and Aladin enter the house, trying to coerce the children to stay with them. Xyril goes so far as to push them inside, causing their image to flicker and vanish. Shocked by the disappearing children, Cade tries to leave, but the mist, now up to the front door, prevents their escape. Once inside, they build a fire in the Main Hall's fireplace and investigate the Den of Wolves, where Xyril breaks his crowbar attempting to open a locked cabinet. As they investigate the kitchen, the group finds a dumbwaiter and convinces Cade to enter to explore the other floors. Cade is first lifted to the Servant's Room, finding little other than dusty uniforms and a staircase leading to the other floors. Unperturbed by the Servant's Room, Cade re-enters the dumbwaiter, where Xyril sends Cade higher to the Master Suite. While there, he swipes a jewellery box for himself before returning to the kitchen. Eventually, they climb the stairs to the Upper Hall, and Aladin takes one of the suits of armour to use as Plate armour. Entering the Conservatory, the group mulls over the macabre vibes of well-dressed skeleton figurines. Through their inspection of the Conservatory, Xyril damages one of the walls and moves to follow Aladin, who went to explore the Library. However, in their haste, neither Xyril nor Cade notices the room return to its original state as they leave. In the Library, Cade finds a red book which, when pulled, reveals a secret room containing books related to Fiend summoning rituals. While exploring the secret room further, Aladin opens a chest to reveal further clues to the reason for the house's state, some deeds to other buildings and a will. The group continue their climb to the Balcony, where they spot a suit of Animated Armour move and all attack instantly. The struggle ends with the trio standing victorious and the empty helmet of the armour tossed down the stairs. Cade leads the group to the Master Suite, where they notice the room returns to its original state faster than in those below. They decide the Master Suite is the best place to take a short rest and contemplate their time in the house so far.

Curse of Strahd 2 - Way Too Possessive - The trio begin to progress through the third floor when Aladin kicks down the door to the Storage Room, where a Broom of Animated Attack is waiting to assault them and ultimately knock down Aladin. Cade takes the brunt of the Broom's attacks until Xyril eventually destroys it. Once over, they both manage to stabilise Aladin and have her heal some of the wounds inflicted by the fight. Xyril's words of caution go ignored when Aladin kicks the door down to the Nursemaid's Suite and startles an awaiting Specter. The hard-fought battle ends with the trio still standing with their health whittled further. After a lot of fruitless searching, Aladin finally checks herself out in the mirror, notices the odd panelling it's affixed upon, and kicks it in to reveal the stairs to the Attic. In the Attic, Cade manages to break the lock to the Children's Room, where the trio investigate and discovers the remains of the children they met outside. The ghosts of the children Rose and Thorn appear, prompting Aladin to tip the last of their holy water over the small boy Thorn. As a result of Aladin's aggressive actions, both ghosts attack her, knocking her down. Xyril tries to calm the ghosts and successfully manages to converse enough with them to learn of the secret door in the Attic to the Dungeon level. When they try to leave, the ghosts want them to stay forever. Xyril attempts to appease them by promising to give them an item so valuable to Xyril that he would have to return. Unfortunately, Rose sees through his plan, forcing Xyril to throw his bottle of holy water on the children to try and distract them long enough for Cade to drag Aladin's unconscious body out of the room. All best-laid plans go awry as Cade cannot shift Aladin's heavy, plate armoured body fast enough. Rose subsequently possesses Cade, with Xyril shaking off Thorn's attempts. When Aladin awakes, Thorn possesses her, meaning neither Cade nor Aladin wishes to leave the house anymore, and they have each of the children's character traits. Cade takes control of the situation and takes the group down the secret staircase to the Dungeon level.

Curse of Strahd 3 - End of the Beginning - Journeying through the Dungeon level, the trio explore the Cult Initiate's Quarters, where Xyril and Cade work together to open all the chests, sharing the treasures between them all. Travelling on, Cade falls down a Hidden Spike Pit and is hurt badly. Once out of the pit, Aladin heals some of Cade's wounds, allowing the trio to keep press. At a fork in the path, Cade leads the group toward the sound of chanting deeper in the Dungeon. Entering the Reliquary, the group investigate the assorted relics while finally discerning the cult's chanting, "He is the Ancient, He is the Land". Xyril peers beyond the Portcullis into the Ritual Chamber, causing the chanting to stop. The group also stopped, expecting some cultists to find them, but none arrived. They slowly make their way through the Prison, with Aladin initially hiding the secret door from Xyril and Cade but reluctantly opening it into the Ritual Chamber. Inside, the trio investigates the room to discover no cultists but a Raised Dias in the centre caked in dried blood. Xyril looks at the pile of refuse at Aladin's request and spots the pile as a hibernating Shambling Mound. Making their way back to the Prison to discuss their strategy, the trio agree to help Cade jump from the outer wall of the Ritual Chamber onto the Raised Dias in the centre of the room. When Cade reaches the top of the Dias, 13 black-robed figures appear and repeatedly chant anew, "One must die!". Cade, standing alone, is unwilling to hurt himself and throws a dagger at the Shambling Mound, causing it to wake and begin moving towards him. As the mound reaches the top of the Dias, the chanting changes to "The End comes! Death, be praised", and the mound attacks Cade, knocking him out immediately. Xyril and Aladin watch at the Portcullis as the mound moves toward them, opening the Portcullis, which allows Aladin to use Lay On Hands on Cade to awaken but is still restrained by the mound. Xyril takes his time to analyse the situation while Cade is crushed again by the mound and knocked unconscious. Aladin is hit but survives enough to run, following Xyril's instructions. Xyril realises the futility of fighting the Shambling Mound and goes with Aladin back through the Dungeon to the stairs leading up to the Attic. Cade, left to their fate, is engulfed by the Shambling Mound and dies. Aladin, still possessed by Thorn Durst, refuses to leave the basement with Xyril. Despite Xyril's best attempts, Aladin faces their death at the hands of the Shambling Mound as their last gift to Xyril. Xyril reaches the Attic, but the house has been turned against him, with doors turned into slashing scythe blades and all windows bricked up. Xyril blasts one of the walls of the Storage Room, but a Swarm of Rats comes out of the opening. Xyril fights into the Nursemaid's Quarters, filled with poisonous black smoke. Xyril blasts the sythes blocking the doorway to the Balcony, where he sees the mist has receded, allowing him to use a rope to scale down the building and escape the Death House.

### The Fast Decline of Sanity

Curse of Strahd 4 - The Big S - Xyril, fresh from the horrors of the Death House, visits the Blood of the Vine tavern in the Village of Barovia. In the tavern, Xyril meets Jafar, Eirrel and Ismark the Lesser. Ismark asks the other three for help to get his sister out of town and to Vallaki, to which they agree to help. Xyril, Jafar and Eirrel meander around town before meeting back up with Ismark at the Burgomaster's Mansion to save his sister Ireena from Strahd (which the group agree to refer to as "The Big S" to try and hide their agenda from Strahd's spies). Upon entering the Mansion, it becomes clear the former Burgomaster's corpse is still in the Mansion, and Ireena refuses to go anywhere until her father has been appropriately buried at the church. Reluctantly, the group agree to help with Xyril using his magic to hide Ireena's face as they travel through town to the church. In the church, the group are drawn to the sound of screaming from one of the rooms. They investigate further down a trap door to the undercroft and find the Vampire Spawn Doru (Donavich, the priest's son) desperate to feed on blood. Understanding the group will not give Doru their blood, Doru attacks, causing a loud enough commotion for Donavich and Ismark to enter the undercroft. Donavich begs them not to kill his son, but they do not agree to the request. After further fighting, Doru winds up dead under a pile of rubble, and Donavich is left sobbing. Ismark recognises the good work the group did and acknowledges them as allies and fellow enemies of "The Big S". With the fighting over, Xyril takes the time to summon his familiar Spiny in the shape of a spider, with everyone else relaxing until midnight to perform the burial for the former Burgomaster. After the funeral, the group witnesses the March of the Dead. Once finished, Strahd von Zarovich makes his presence known to claim Ireena (calling her Tatyana) and make fun of Xyril's dire attempt at surviving the Death House. Ismark refuses to let Ireena go, making Strahd set a pack of wolves on everyone.

Curse of Strahd 5 - Bonus Hair - Xyril's attempt to talk with Strahd cuts short after Strahd mentions Xyril's past and instructs his wolves to fight. While some wolves are defeated, Xyril is knocked unconscious. Eirrel attempts to drag Ireena closer to the chapel, but Strahd moves to block the main path. While Jafar and Ismark whittle down the wolves, Strahd flaunts his power by misting over to the unconscious Xyril and ripping out some of his hair. The group manages to wipe out the rest of the wolves, with Ismark and Ireena making it to the chapel and instructing the rest to enter to be safe from Strahd. Unwilling to leave someone behind, Jafar tries to retrieve Xyril's body from underneath Strahd but is thrown back. Although Strahd "spares" Jafar and Eirrel for their brave efforts, Strahd outright kills Xyril, turns into a flurry of bats and flies away. A few moments of quiet mourning pass before Xyril gasps awake (unknowingly mad with the inability to take anything seriously). Inside the church, Ismark reaffirms his plan to take Ireena to Vallaki but offers everyone to stay in his mansion for the night to recover from the ordeal they barely survived. On the walk back to the Burgomaster's mansion, Eirrel spots an older woman suspiciously pushing a cart and investigates while the others continue. Seeing the older woman take a child into a sack as payment for one of the pastries, Eirrel confronts the woman. In exchange for letting her keep the child, she imparts two pieces of wisdom. The first is never to trust the Vistani as they work for Strahd and will report Eirrel's movements directly to Strahd. The second is to seek out the Order of the Silver Dragon if he is genuinely there to seek Strahd's destruction. The following morning, the group starts their walk to Vallaki and is attacked by Scarecrows, which they manage to fend off with only minor wounds. The closest place to recover is a Vistani camp, rumoured to have a fortune teller, which Ismark recommends the group visit. On the way, the group come across a series of graves, which Eirrel investigates and finds an old book titled The Tome of Strahd. The group read the book and shared the learnings of Strahd's weaknesses and hints of his obsession with Ireena/Tatyana.

### Establishing a Rhythm

Curse of Strahd 6 - DM's Cut - *An unfortunate mishap in recording the original session leaves us with Haiss' DM summary of the session instead. This description aims to summarise the events of the session.* Upon entering the Vistani's Tser Pool Encampment, the group is welcomed as adventurers. Xyril makes a beeline for one of the women and successfully lays on his charm, much to the disdain of Ismark, who is unwilling to be as friendly or stay longer than necessary. Jafar heads into a tent to rest and misses a Vistani story of a grand fight between a powerful Wizard and Strahd, fought barely over a year ago. After the story, Xyril remains by the campfire to continue flirting while Jafar and Eirrel go to Madam Eva's tent to receive their fortune. Before receiving their fortune, Jafar learns more about the Wizard, hoping to make them an ally and learn they wander Mount Baratok. Eirrel learns that the Order of the Silver Dragon, based in Argynvostholt, was defeated by Strahd long ago. Curiosity temporarily satiated, they allow Madam Eva to read their fortune, the **First** card being the **Thief**, alluding to the Tome of Strahd that Eirrel had already found at the River Ivlis Crossroads. The **Second** card is the **Transmuter**, telling of a powerful force for good and protection in a place of dizzying heights where the stone itself is alive. The **Third** card is the **Abjurer**, describing a weapon of vengeance, a sword of sunlight in a fallen house guarded by a great stone dragon (much to Eirrel's excitement as the weapon is mentioned in the Tome of Strahd). The **Fourth** card is the **Mists**, which sheds light on one who will help greatly in the battle against darkness, alluding to a Vistana who wanders this land alone with a recommendation to seek her out at Saint Markovia’s abbey near the mists. The **Fifth** card is the **Donjon**, which alludes to a place Strahd could always be found, in a hall of bones in the dark pits of his castle. Fortune finally read Madam Eva dismisses Jafar and Eirrel from her tent to return to the revelry. During their time away and discussing other plans, Xyril has taken his new companion to a tent, setting his raven familiar as a watch. Wanting to leave but realising Xyril is nowhere to be seen, Eirrel and Jafar return to the firepit to look for Xyril, where the Vistani try to draw them into the festivity, to which both refuse. The Vistani, feeling slighted by the refusal, end up in a back-and-forth heated discussion where both Eirrel and Jafar are summarily asked to leave the camp. Refusing to leave without Xyril, two Vistani go to the tent where they last saw Xyril enter with the woman. Upon entering, the woman (gone) and Xyril (hiding invisible) are nowhere to be seen. Unsettled and angry by the disappearances, the Vistani demand Jafar and Eirrel return the missing woman, which they cannot do. Eirrel manages to create an illusionary sound of a screaming woman, and Jafar points to a separate area of the forest where he claims he saw a woman go and not come back. Because of their desperation to find the missing woman, Jafar and Eirrel's efforts cause enough distraction to allow the group enough time to steal some of the Vistani's horses. After their getaway, the group rest at Tser Falls, much to Ismark's disdain. In the morning, a ghost attacks their camp, which is swiftly dispatched after focusing much of its attention on attacking Xyril.

Curse of Strahd 7 - When in Doubt, Grapple It - Finally able to focus on their day ahead after being further bothered by a raven, the group travel north to a fork in the road, east to Castle Ravenloft and west to Vallaki. Xyril sends his familiar east to scout the castle while the group continues west, following the road to Vallaki. Shortly after leaving the fork, a skeleton rider on a skeletal warhorse is spotted riding towards the group. Despite failed attempts at communicating with the skeleton rider, it seems intent on passing the group by when Jafar trips the warhorse, throwing its rider a distance away. Jafar is successful in initially mounting the warhorse, but it refuses Jafar's attempt to tame it. Eirrel quickly dispatches the fallen skeleton while Jafar eventually manages to calm the warhorse down enough to tame it. Eirrel investigates the skeleton's remains and finds little. The group continues until they come across another fork in the road with a windmill (the Old Bonegrinder) to the west, with cart trails leading away. Eirrel begins to investigate the path when a raven flies past and, in frustration, shoots it with his hand crossbow. Everyone is surprised it survived such an attack as the raven goes to attack Eirrel in retaliation. In the scuffle, Jafar catches the raven, allowing Xyril to try to talk to it. Frustrated by a lack of a response, Jafar tries to punch the captured raven when Ismark stops him and admonishes them for harming a raven at the risk of becoming cursed. Amid its torture from Jafar, Eirrel and Xyril, the raven transforms into a Human woman and begins explaining that they were trying to help and only an agent of Strahd would do such a thing. With everyone calmed down, Xyril ties up the woman, and she begins to explain that she is the raven they saw earlier watching over them and to warn them not to go into the windmill. Xyril successfully casts Charm Person on the woman and reintroduces himself to start fresh. She equally responds and introduces herself as Muriel, the calmness allowing Xyril to untie her. Muriel reaffirms her warning not to go to the windmill and, upon request, answers the riddles laid out from the tarot reading the previous day. Her final offering of wisdom to the group is to go to the Bluewater Inn in Vallaki, prove themselves good, trustworthy people, and find allies there. Muriel departs with a warning to Jafar not to let the people of Vallaki see his skeleton warhorse, and the group heads to Vallaki. Arriving at Vallaki, the guards interrogated the group. They were allowed to enter by draping Ismark's tent over the skeleton warhorse.

Curse of Strahd 8 - J.E.X.

Curse of Strahd 9 - Far Too Dramatic

Curse of Strahd 10 - Where There's a Will, There's a Wisp

### Actions have Consequences

Curse of Strahd 11 - All For Wine and Wine For All

Curse of Strahd 12 - Feel The Burn

Curse of Strahd 13 - Madness Makes the Mage

Curse of Strahd 14 - A Wild Distraction Appears

Curse of Strahd 15 - Getting Misty

Curse of Strahd 16 - Nothing to Offer

### New Faces, New Opportunities

Curse of Strahd 17 - Down Town Abbey

Curse of Strahd 18 - Daemon Air Hole

Curse of Strahd 19 - Not That Door

Curse of Strahd 20 - Eternal Suffering

Curse of Strahd 21 - Mi Casa, Su Kasimir

Curse of Strahd 22 - Thumb's Up

### Castle von Zarovich

Curse of Strahd 23 - Interview With a Vampire

Curse of Strahd 24 - Getting a Head

Curse of Strahd 25 - Where the Sun Don't Shine

Curse of Strahd 26 - Laying Down the Claw

### The Amber Temple

Curse of Strahd 27 - Trick & Mordy

Curse of Strahd 28 - Call an Amberlance

Curse of Strahd 29 - This Can't End Well

Curse of Strahd 30 - It's a Trap!

Curse of Strahd 31 - The Cost of Power