Joël's campaign (now: Har'Akir desert arc!)

[Joël of the FoS]

And voilà session 85 to 90 : http://www.fraternityofshadows.com/TheV ... _to_90.pdf

Sessions 85 and 86 were already up, but I made a bundle for the site's Veranda page.

Enjoy!

The intrigue continues in Borca.

[DustBunny]

Drakov hopes to split Borca from its traditional alliance with Richemulot, Dementlieu, and Mordent, and he has sent Horstman for the job. You’ll see it is as heavy handed as Drakov is a bad military leader

Well, I guess that means Feast is not an really an option at this point. Jardan Kovedknochen appears to think the best way to navigate a political minefield is to use a pogo stick.

I wonder what his next brilliant move will be – Present a box of RatSak as a gift to Jackie Reiner? Relationship counselling for Strahd?

At that point, she is a little drunk from the alcohol and walks tipsily. Using that opportunity, Varadan moves the conversation toward her famous beauty and asks her how does she keep this young look.

*Groans* Vardan you ask one of the forbidden questions for a man to ask _any_ woman, let alone Ivana.
It appears someone else likes to use the pogo stick method of navigating minefields.

But okay, maybe it was just one time mistake….

Varadan, lying – We noticed the iconography has changed with the new church.
Ivana, again wincing - and that is why they wouldn’t sell the church? Really?
Varadan - ...

*Boing* *Boing* *Boing* *Boom!*
This isn’t going to end well….

Also, they remember they still have Nathan Timothy’s (Natalia’s lover) heart with them ... (DM note : found in session 66 in the things used by the Whispering Way).

Ha ha. What other gruesome knick-knacks have they collected which they forgot about?

In Ivana’s back, they see Clothilda and Nostalia smile at each other, and make high five, like if they are happy there was some action they love...

Go Team Ermordenung! Show them how to do it in style.

[Joël of the FoS]

Drakov hopes to split Borca from its traditional alliance with Richemulot, Dementlieu, and Mordent, and he has sent Horstman for the job. You’ll see it is as heavy handed as Drakov is a bad military leader

Well, I guess that means Feast is not an really an option at this point. Jardan Kovedknochen appears to think the best way to navigate a political minefield is to use a pogo stick.

I thought of that political encounter just days before the session, and decided to add this to the plan. It’s been a while since they heard from Falkovnia’s aggressive behavior, and they have a lot of time to waste with Ivana before the action resumes. All this time they can’t investigate the vanishing is frustrating for them but they can’t refuse Ivana’s request, no?

I really like that damned if you damned if you don’t situation

At that point, she is a little drunk from the alcohol and walks tipsily. Using that opportunity, Varadan moves the conversation toward her famous beauty and asks her how does she keep this young look.

*Groans* Vardan you ask one of the forbidden questions for a man to ask _any_ woman, let alone Ivana.
It appears someone else likes to use the pogo stick method of navigating minefields.

Indeed, I think he is getting more confident as he has these private discussions with Ivana.

One day, he’ll get into trouble, but before, he will see Clothilda get in trouble for failing Ivana's trust, and that should be a warning!

Also, they remember they still have Nathan Timothy’s (Natalia’s lover) heart with them ... (DM note : found in session 66 in the things used by the Whispering Way).

Ha ha. What other gruesome knick-knacks have they collected which they forgot about?

Mental note : I should take a look at their sheet, it’s been a while!

But the smell mention is that Natalia can smell other people’s lycanthropy.

Go Team Ermordenung! Show them how to do it in style.

Indeed!

They were drooling when they realized Clothilda had an invisibility spell (the players do not have it). They said they will discuss with Clothilda about sharing spells with her.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Finally time to catch up on reading....

87: Kudos to Varadan's player for allowing his PC to get so ... entangled with Ivana. Great roleplay opportunity!

This old church of Ezra and its guardians are so intriguing.

"Ezra is not really looking like my wh..., my aunt” - I missed the implication here. What was Lollar about to say?

Oh no! Did Ivana know that Varadan saw her sleeping form? That can't be good for him if she did.

Ivan's a tricky character to play. Since he plays the buffoon, he could come off as simply a buffoon, and not very scary. how did he go over with your PCs? Did they take him as a serious threat, even when his plan with the Borrowed Time was so easily thwarted by Nostalia?

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

88: I see you there, Weeping Angel.

Oh dear, only 4 doses of Mercy? Will they fake death for one of them? Or risk revealing the deception?

Baron Metus? That should raise some eyebrows. (Or maybe not. If I recall, you skipped the Martira Bay portion of Bleak House, right? Did they ever hear Van Richten talk about Metus enough to make the connection?) Is he truly an artist, or is it just attributed to him?

Ivana ignoring Varadan and inviting Bevel to a private meeting... is there something icky going on there?

89: Nice workaround with the bird pointing to letters, but someone should learn speak with animals...

Ah... lots of fun name drops in the Falkovnian delegation. Including your own Antunia. Where's that Talon portrait from?

Smart to use echolocation to avoid the gaze attack!

[Joël of the FoS]

Thanks for these comments!

87: Kudos to Varadan's player for allowing his PC to get so ... entangled with Ivana. Great roleplay opportunity!

I wasn't sure he would go for it, but it worked. That was fun indeed, he had access to a part of Ivana’s personality that would have been difficult to see otherwise. I shared a lot of information through that intimate relation.

This old church of Ezra and its guardians are so intriguing.

You’ll see more later

I once realized there should be in Levkarest an old church that was Ezra's church before the Cathedral was finished. And then I asked myself what cool things could be linked to this location?

"Ezra is not really looking like my wh..., my aunt” - I missed the implication here. What was Lollar about to say?

Whore. Was supposed to be « that wh… » Sorry, got it wrong when translating my notes in French to English.

Lollar really makes sure it well known he hates his aunt. Ivana doesn’t care as Lollar acts like a magnet for all people that hates her. By knowing who he speaks to, she knows who to watch.

Oh no! Did Ivana know that Varadan saw her sleeping form? That can't be good for him if she did.

So far she trusts him. And may be she feels something for Varadan.

Ivan's a tricky character to play. Since he plays the buffoon, he could come off as simply a buffoon, and not very scary. how did he go over with your PCs? Did they take him as a serious threat, even when his plan with the Borrowed Time was so easily thwarted by Nostalia?

No, no, they fear him as they would fear Heath Ledger’s Joker in Batman. Scary person, highly dangerous.

Oh dear, only 4 doses of Mercy? Will they fake death for one of them? Or risk revealing the deception?

With a good constitution, you do not really die after one day, but become very weak. Ivan knows there are spells that can help, but he also knows if the PCs do so, it is taxing their ressources.

Baron Metus? That should raise some eyebrows. (Or maybe not. If I recall, you skipped the Martira Bay portion of Bleak House, right? Did they ever hear Van Richten talk about Metus enough to make the connection?) Is he truly an artist, or is it just attributed to him?

Yes, I did pass the middle part of BH, but they do know Van Richten’s story so they know who Metus is.

IIRC, in BH, he was painting. I figured that in depraved circles, he could be somewhat of a star.

Ivana ignoring Varadan and inviting Bevel to a private meeting... is there something icky going on there?

She was to one to kick Gennifer WF out of Borca after she flirted with Bevel She doesn’t want to show her affection to Varadan in front of Bevel. Even if she does it in public, she still respects (and need) Bevel enough so that she doesn’t do her depraved behavior in front of him.

Ah... lots of fun name drops in the Falkovnian delegation. Including your own Antunia. Where's that Talon portrait from?

Found these on the Internet. These are from a video game (Dishonored2). Did whiten the eye of Horstman.

I needed things to do while in Ivana’s company, so I thought of this encounter. Something typical I do IMC : provide information and atmospherics, and make sure all of this looks very dangerous

Of course, Antunia will be back IMC.

Smart to use echolocation to avoid the gaze attack!

I play with engineers, they always think of tricks like that ...

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

"Ezra is not really looking like my wh..., my aunt” - I missed the implication here. What was Lollar about to say?

Whore. Was supposed to be « that wh… » Sorry, got it wrong when translating my notes in French to English.

Ah, ok. It still works if he was going to say "my whore aunt" and switched to simply "my aunt".

With a good constitution, you do not really die after one day, but become very weak. Ivan knows there are spells that can help, but he also knows if the PCs do so, it is taxing their ressources.

Ah, right, good old Super-PC Constitutions. Even deadly poison can be shrugged off for a little while.

She was to one to kick Gennifer WF out of Borca after she flirted with Bevel She doesn’t want to show her affection to Varadan in front of Bevel. Even if she does it in public, she still respects (and need) Bevel enough so that she doesn’t do her depraved behavior in front of him.

Ah, OK. Could still be a Cersei Lannister/Lancel Lannister thing too. ick!

Ah... lots of fun name drops in the Falkovnian delegation. Including your own Antunia. Where's that Talon portrait from?

Found these on the Internet. These are from a video game (Dishonored2). Did whiten the eye of Horstman.

Sorry, forgot I need to be more specific. Not the Falkovnian Talon portrait. The Talon Dunning Portrait (for Antunia). Where is it from?

Smart to use echolocation to avoid the gaze attack!

I play with engineers, they always think of tricks like that ...

Me too! Frustrating sometimes, isn't it?

90: Oh Varadan... you didn't prepare a story for Ivana about what you saw at the old church before meeting with her? Seems he may be swimming in too deep waters for his skills. that revelation about Yakov is very nice, too. I can't remember now, is that hinted anywhere in the books or did you come up with it?

Love this detail: "the letter was written hours before the event happened" Ah, politics...

Last line is a little confusing... were Clothilda and Nostalia just happy to flex their fighting muscles, or did they set up this ambush behind Ivana's back to get her mad at Ivan!?

[Joël of the FoS]

Ah... lots of fun name drops in the Falkovnian delegation. Including your own Antunia. Where's that Talon portrait from?

Sorry, forgot I need to be more specific. Not the Falkovnian Talon portrait. The Talon Dunning Portrait (for Antunia). Where is it from?

From Talon’s website I believe, in one of the galleries. Original name by Talon was Thuriya.

I love my horror image folders 8 700 images classified into folders (ruins, urban, NPC-woman, NPC - children, etc...). If it wasn’t about copyright, I’d be glad to share these here. When thinking about a session, I often browse through the files to have side trek and other ideas.

90: Oh Varadan... you didn't prepare a story for Ivana about what you saw at the old church before meeting with her? Seems he may be swimming in too deep waters for his skills.

Yes, while she was genuinely enjoying his company so far, now he starts to disappoint her...

I was surprised too that he didn’t think of an answer, since they did speak of it the day before. I have a lot of fun playing the devilish Ivana by the way

that revelation about Yakov is very nice, too. I can't remember now, is that hinted anywhere in the books or did you come up with it?

I don’t think it was in books before. The whole thing started as a red herring thinking about the old church, then it got much more interesting as I added a conspiracy (Severin) and a big explosive secret to the place (Yakov).

Sure, now Ivana will want to know, now that Virevan goofed about the matter ... That can't end in a good way for someone.

Last line is a little confusing... were Clothilda and Nostalia just happy to flex their fighting muscles, or did they set up this ambush behind Ivana's back to get her mad at Ivan!?

Simply A. They would never dare about B

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

From Talon’s website I believe, in one of the galleries. Original name by Talon was Thuriya.

Awesome. The great thing about Talon's style is that even his non-Ravenloft stuff often just fits right in.

I don’t think it was in books before. The whole thing started as a red herring thinking about the old church, then it got much more interesting as I added a conspiracy (Severin) and a big explosive secret to the place (Yakov).

I like it a lot. very creepy and full of possibilities, both in how the information is handled, and what it could mean for Yakov in the future.

[Joël of the FoS]

Readers!

At last, we played D&D for real !

Here's the journal for last Sunday's session.

After many sessions of building an oppressive and toxic atmosphere in Borca, the pandemic started. Darn!

So this session was to put back the heat under the kettle... heh heh.

There were a few cool scenes in it, I think (The only great part of having too much time to think before the next session)

I'll come back after in a few days as I have questions and options I'd like to share.

[DustBunny]

Happily reads away...

You went through the entire Dragonlance campaign? Despair to Triumph?
Congrats to your Dm, as some of those modules are really hard to run (esp Do Dreams and Do War)

After these confessions, Ivana is now flirtier with Varadan and seems definitively to have forgotten her coldness and anger of moments before.
DM note – Cool explanations. Well played by Varadan’s player!

Its good thats he's back in her good books for now, though he has lost the possible 'ace up the sleeve' they had. But I guess when dancing with the devil you have to go all in. And they did learn about/access the Deathstone.

DM – in a Clintonesque manner, Varadan didn’t lie but answered the questions literally. The others asked if Ivana had asked him about Yakov during the night: she didn’t asked, Varadan volunteered the information. If they had asked more questions, he would have told them, but they went on about something else…

Ha ha. As least they didn't ask 'Did you have sexual relations with that woman?'

Macrazbunare summons a small earth elemental, and with tongues, asks it to go through the stone wall for 3 rounds (in the direction looked at by the sculptor) and come back (which is about a hundred feet) to tell him what he saw. The creature glides into the wall.

Ah, very clever! Though they are lucky they didn't get a grave elemental.

DM note – powerful and unnerving scene. The players were amazed at the coolness of this scene and were very surprised of it. One player said he never expected to see that kind of thing in a D&D game, and described it as intense and emotional as the loss of Van Richten!

Wow. I love this one! As it went on I was getting 'Dark Galadirel' vibes from the LoTR Fellowship movie.

"In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me, and despair!"

Reminding the PC's they are dealing with an honest to goodness Ravenloft Darklord. A pretty facade over a seething pit of malice and evil.

She hands them the letter:

I wonder if they'll remember the 'Do not use Fire' clause? Potenitally amusing considering the discussion of PCs being arson happy in another thread.

Varadan, smiling a little, tells her not to go too far, she should “wait in the Main Hall, I’ll see you after supper”. Clothilda throws lightning bolts from her eyes at Varadan’s smile.

*shakes head* Vardan, a slight bit of advice if I may? - She is an accountant and a ermordenung. You can guarantee that every slight will be meticiously detailed into memory along with calculated interest. And she will not forget it either...

At the gate, they meet Clothilda, waiting for them, wearing adventurer’s clothing instead of her usual long green dresses

*scribbles down a note in the 'Varden: Repayments due' column of her mental ledger*

Petrak – is she there to spy on us?
Varadan’s comment — I don’t think so. If Ivana wanted a spy with us during our trip to Falkovnia, she would have asked us to take someone with us openly, she wouldn’t have gone through such an elaborate ruse just to spy on her employees.

*sigh* Vardan, Vardan, Vardan.....

[Joël of the FoS]

You went through the entire Dragonlance campaign? Despair to Triumph?
Congrats to your Dm, as some of those modules are really hard to run (esp Do Dreams and Do War)

I’m not sure of what we did play of the ±15 adventures. He had this goal for a long time, and adapted these adventures to 3.5 ed. (then to roll 20). But he possibly did skip parts that were not fun or unplayable through roll20. We had a dragon battle, that was fun.

In that campaign, my PC is a lady elf, Sorisana Zincaryn, a short 105 pounds bad ass wizard. She can be impossible to manage when facing injustice: she is the daughter of the king of elves, but she left this place as all his father’s attention was on his sons, whom Sorisana thinks are much less capable then her She feels her father never gave her the place she deserves. Fun role play.

After these confessions, Ivana is now flirtier with Varadan and seems definitively to have forgotten her coldness and anger of moments before.
DM note – Cool explanations. Well played by Varadan’s player!

Its good thats he's back in her good books for now, though he has lost the possible 'ace up the sleeve' they had. But I guess when dancing with the devil you have to go all in. And they did learn about/access the Deathstone.

He had about a week b4 the game to think about this nasty question, and decided to make it as honest as possible, to gain Ivana’s trust, and he found good reasons for his first unwillingness to answer her.

The rest of the game that day prove he chose well, when the Clothilda crisis came.

DM – in a Clintonesque manner, Varadan didn’t lie but answered the questions literally. The others asked if Ivana had asked him about Yakov during the night: she didn’t asked, Varadan volunteered the information. If they had asked more questions, he would have told them, but they went on about something else…

Ha ha. As least they didn't ask 'Did you have sexual relations with that woman?'

Exactly what I had in mind. Truthful to the letter, but still evasive.

DM note – powerful and unnerving scene. The players were amazed at the coolness of this scene and were very surprised of it. One player said he never expected to see that kind of thing in a D&D game, and described it as intense and emotional as the loss of Van Richten!

Wow. I love this one! As it went on I was getting 'Dark Galadriel vibes from the LoTR Fellowship movie.

"In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me, and despair!"

Reminding the PC's they are dealing with an honest to goodness Ravenloft Darklord. A pretty facade over a seething pit of malice and evil.

You got the point. They decided to be allied with Ivana, but now they are getting more and more more caught in her webs.

Varadan, smiling a little, tells her not to go too far, she should “wait in the Main Hall, I’ll see you after supper”. Clothilda throws lightning bolts from her eyes at Varadan’s smile.

*shakes head* Vardan, a slight bit of advice if I may? - She is an accountant and a ermordenung. You can guarantee that every slight will be meticiously detailed into memory along with calculated interest. And she will not forget it either...

At the gate, they meet Clothilda, waiting for them, wearing adventurer’s clothing instead of her usual long green dresses

*scribbles down a note in the 'Varden: Repayments due' column of her mental ledger*

Petrak – is she there to spy on us?
Varadan’s comment — I don’t think so. If Ivana wanted a spy with us during our trip to Falkovnia, she would have asked us to take someone with us openly, she wouldn’t have gone through such an elaborate ruse just to spy on her employees.

*sigh* Vardan, Vardan, Vardan.....

Indeed, I think he tries hard to be hopeful and also tries hard not to see how she really got them in her pocket now.

Ivana of course used this crisis with Clothilda to put Clothilda to her place, and also to spy on the PCs. What they are doing, who they are meeting, what they discussed, etc. She trusts them at 95%, but still she needs to be 100 % sure as they know a lot.

The Falkovnia trip proved Ivana she did well: the heroes would be far away from her eyes, and a spy in their rank during the trip will be perfect.

For Clothilda, there are many thoughts in her head right now. First is one is making this week pass as quickly as possible and regain Ivana’s trust. That is her main goal for now. But there is also an anger and humiliation in her that makes her consider doing something crazy, like leave Borca and disappear, or join Vedarrak in Falkovnia and be a traitor to Borca, or be a turn coat to Ivan…

Next game, or perhaps when they come back to Levkarest, they’ll learn that Viviane Rodier (the halfling that snitched on Clothilda and Vedarrak) will be found horribly stabbed and killed in her house (after the humiliation at the dinner, Clothilda went to Garrett that night and paid him 500gp for the information (she know the heroes often had contact with him) and he gave the name of Rodier. Clothilda found out where she lived and got her revenge on the snitch with splashing her blood on the walls)

(also, metagaming wise, the fight in Falkovnia will be a tough one, and more firepower from Clothilda is good to avoid a TPK! Or will Clothilda use that opportunity to destroy the PCs?)

Next story arc is based on the Antunia Papiecù article I made for Qtr 18. They save Al-Wawat, notice he is from Har Akir (Deathstone link) and then a trip to Har Akir. Meanwhile, the end of the Gargoyle and perhaps Ivan has to be put to his place too.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Readers!

At last, we played D&D for real !

Awesome! I'm so far behind on reading these, but I'm dying to find time to catch up on them. Glad to see you're still playing, my friend, hopefully one day soon I can say the same about my campaign.

[Joël of the FoS]

(EDIT: now included in the journals)

[Joël of the FoS]

Game last Sunday! Here's the session journal for game 93.

This leads to the end soon of the Levkarest adventures. In the game, the Gargoyle is defeated, the Jongleur will be back soon so Ivana will not need the PCs as bodyguards.

I will have a few days pass in Levkarest:

- Al-Wawat can't help about the Death Stone (it's very old) but he knows someone in Har Akir who could help

- the celebrations of Yakov's 50th anniversary of his death (what could happen? )

- the church honors the PCs as they stopped the Gargoyle menace (possible meeting with the Praesidius, Petrak (cleric of Ezra) will get a higher title in the hierarchy)

- perhaps some annoying things with Ivan

- the last days of Clothilda's servitude to Varadan

- and then hop to Har Akir (with Al-Wawat, to find more information on the Death Stone!)