High Rollers DnD - High Rollers: Curse of Strahd #9 | Unspoken Pacts

Episode Date: June 9, 2020

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Welcome friends to High Rollers Presents The Curse of Strahd. A gothic horror adventure of chills, thrills, and many blood spills. I am your Dungeon Master Mark Humes and the players joining me are as follows. Stan the Dragonborn Sorcerer. The Travelers had arrived in the old abandoned home of the former Burgomaster of Vallaki in search of a clue that would reveal more information about Strahd von Zarovich, the Dark Overlord of Barovia. Here the party encountered a vampire spawn, a servant of Strahd, a former dragonborn adventurer, and a tense battle followed. Luck seemed against the party, but after discovering the secret to the vampire's regeneration thanks to Ziki and Shadow,

the party slowly gained the upper hand. Sadly, as she tried to flee, Ziki was grabbed, and the vampire spawn fed deep on her blood, leaving her an empty, withered corpse. In rage, Xeros chased the spawn down as it tried to escape, and with a final arrow from Rose, the creature was slain. Now the party must deal with the aftermath of these terrible events. There is any good news of all of this. It is that as the vampire spawn dies, whatever fell magic kept the ghoul animated that had been rushing up the stairs ready to engage Shadow and Rose crumbles and the withered corpse falls away

into chunks and piles of flesh and rotting meat as it does so. And you are all left in a very quiet very still house. But before we jump to all of you Ziki Here we go, very still house. But, before we jump to all of you,

Ziki. Here we go, here we go. Oh! You remember the sensation of the fangs biting into your neck, reaching out for Zeros, calling his name.

And then, not much else. You feel your body become heavy. You stumble, and you find yourself not in the house as you remembered it, but what you think appears to be a wooded path you can hear a song a pleasing woman's

voice singing to you in a melody of life and joy and enrapture but it's distant like muted behind too many stone walls and you can feel a presence

reaching out for you but you know that it cannot reach you where you are you find yourself surrounded by the white mists unsure where to go where you are knowing only that death

has taken you I love that is there any immediate does Zeki do anything immediately is there give us a what's Zeki kind of feeling and thinking right now you know is there any immediate does ziki do anything immediately is there uh you know what what's give us a you know what's ziki kind of feeling and thinking right now i think she's thinking a lot about her childhood a lot about mistakes that she's made in the past uh things

that she wished she could have put right um i think she's trying to think back to happier times to when life was a bit life was simple, life was good and not this, and not being in this terrible place I think she just wants to be back home as a child with her brother just

playing in the sun you can feel that desire you feel that desire you can feel that desire. You feel that that desire... You can feel Lyra wanting to give you that. You can feel this sense that if you could just reach her, that Lyra the Joybringer would grant you that. That she wants to make you happy.

That you know that for all of your service, all of your life that you've dedicated to making others happy, that all she wants is to be able to provide you with that last desire. As you kind of move through the mist, trying to find this source of music, trying to reach out to a hand that you know is reaching for you,

you just find nothing but mist and fog. Back in the house, temporarily, we're going to be doing a lot of jumping around this episode uh we currently have everybody else i believe that xeros uh is mark are all outside you had jumped on the body of the dragonborn to try and slow him down um rose shadow and yes but are currently at the top of the stairs by the window looking down on this scene um and you know that irena had been left with the body of ziki uh what is everyone doing um i think shadow would immediately go back to ziki and just confirm like you know she would be trying to do spare the dying she'll be trying to do whatever she can but i think just yeah

just confirm that yeah you you you channel the magic um of spare the dying it has no effect there is a sense in you as you feel the power of your mistress flowing through your body as the darkness touches Ziki's body and you know that that soul has left the body but then there is this haunting

not realization but almost a voice kind of whispering in your mind. The dead cannot leave Barovia. You know that Ziki's soul could not go to where it's supposed to in the realms. You know, it cannot go into the Celestial Plains or the Nine Hells. Though you would suspect that Ziki would be bound for the celestial realms, not anywhere else. But you know, Shadow, this is your domain. Her soul is trapped within this demiplane,

within this realm of Barovia. She cannot leave, but her body is dead and cannot be healed. The blood has turned her into a withered husk. Her limbs have become shrunken, her scales, any kind of fullness to her. She looks more like a dissected, kind of like a withered skeleton

or like a drowned, desiccated corpse. Yeah, desiccated, yeah. Yeah. What about anybody else? Anything else from anyone else? Yeah, I'd rush over to check as well, noticing that Ziki was just still on the floor.

Is there anything we can do? Shadow? I'm afraid not. This... She has been defiled and her soul is gone.

I'm sorry, friends. There is gone I'm sorry friends there is nothing I can do no this can't be the Taroka cards Madame Eva this party was going to change everything here

at least that's what I thought our destiny would be we can't lose one of us what would Zeros he doesn't know yet he's outside I think he does know

Jesper Rose comes back looking out the window I saw him like yeah vampire's head off i'm like you know watching him is it's like turning to dust right it's just rotting away turning to dust yeah it's just like well yeah just turning to dust basically not even like embers but dust um i I think whatever bits are left, he's slamming into the ground with his greatsword,

and then when the greatsword is plunged too deep in the earth for him to be able to pull it out again, he's then stabbing at it with the devil dagger. What's it called? The blade of Nessus. Nessus, yeah. And I think after the of whack with that blade of Nessus he's then kind of looking at that

quite curiously kind of he knows the origin he knows the power that he holds and he knows about the church he's thinking about that for a while, a long while. Okay.

So that's what Rose sees. Ismark doesn't... He just watches Zeros. He doesn't interfere, but you can see him kind of watching, and he kind of sheathes his blade and just kind of stands there quietly. But it looks like he's not going to leave Zeros on his own for now.

He just kind of waits, kind of keeping back. You blade and just kind of stands there quietly, but it looks like he's not going to leave Zeros on his own for now. He just kind of waits, kind of keeping back. You make your way, Rose. You can see that Shadow and Irena are still kind of crouched by the body, Jesper standing beside them. Knowing what I do about vampires and that he was trying to crawl back up the hallway,

I would know that there is a coffin that needs to be dealt with. Would I? I would know that. Well, I would say that based on your profession, you kind of, you got a decent role. I can't remember if you got a good role or not on the last one.

Well, I used my ability. Yeah. In that case, I would say you I used my ability. Yeah. In that case, I would say you would probably guess... Just make a straight up either intelligence or wisdom check. Just d20 plus your intelligence or your wisdom.

Either one of those. Whichever is better. 15. I used my primeval awareness on it yeah um and i'm guessing you used wisdom because that's your highest stat right so so it's less kind of based on what you know what you've been taught and your own gut intuition the fact that he was trying to escape outside would imply to you that the coffin is elsewhere that it's not in this building and that leads to the question of so why was that vampire

spawn here what was it doing here why would it leave its coffin um so far away if it wasn't in the building particularly um that's you know i'll give you that as like a sherlock moment of like huh that's kind of a weird thing why would he do that i don't think he's um i think i'll go while they're looking go up the the corridor um and have a look in some of it because there was another corridor that Jesper didn't go towards yeah there was, there was the one that he came out of that nobody, Ziki kind of popped down

in there but didn't actually fully look into cool, I mean you guys are not under any threat, you guys can explore the house as you need to when you want I'm gonna, this is an odd request I would like all of you guys to not listen in to a

conversation I'm going to have with Rhi for a minute. So, Trot, I don't know if you can... I'll take my headphones off. Yeah, you can take your headphones off. Can anyone let me mute?

I can mute. Can you mute all of us? Okay. Will that stop them hearing Tron? They can't hear. They can keep talking but they can no longer hear anything, right? They can't hear.

So you guys can't hear me right now? I can hear you. I can hear you. You can all hear. I can still hear. I know Kim isn't done yet. I can hear you. I can still hear you. Okay. I know what I'm doing wrong. I can hear everything.

You guys could just take your headphones off. Everyone take your headphones off. Don't wave at me when we're back. Yeah, I'll wave at you, okay? Alright. So, Rhi, as Zeki is walking amongst this, the mists and the fog,

you begin to see shapes take form. Okay. Child of joy, you are lost.

You are lost. The shapes begin to take on the form of different creatures you see one that almost looks like a giant spider like an arachnid one that appears like an a very irregularly tall woman, her limbs far too extended, her hands and legs all far too longer than they should be. You see almost like a giant slug-like creature, as well as a man with a hunched back. And they all speak in this unanimous, echoed voice to you. We can still hear the map trot, you dangus. But they

speak to you. Okay. Your life has been cut short. Cut short. The devil's straw must be stopped.

We can help you. We can give you the power to return. Uh, how... I would very much like to return. Um, and... If I could stop Strahd, that would be amazing. But is this not the right path for me? Maybe I was weak. I made mistakes. Perhaps I should be here.

Perhaps this is what is right for me. I can give you strength. Strahd will kill your brother. His rage will blind you. You must stop Strahd. Strahd is dangerous. He wishes to escape. We cannot allow that.

Make a pact with us. We have watched this place. We are the wardens. Make a pact with us.

We will give you the power to return, strength to fight, protection, and when Strahd is gone, we will give you Barovia. I think hearing about Zeros she's I think

Zeki's gonna she's gonna want to take that I think hearing that she wants to protect her brother she would protect her sensing this agreement or this kind of like willingness one of the forms and they're shadowy and not quite fully there,

like they're echoes of something. They're vestiges, slivers of a greater thing that you can sense, that you've sensed since you arrived in Barovia. These things, these multi... And there's dozens of them, but their forms will shift and change. They are the mists.

The mists themselves are these things. And you begin to feel this crawling coldness spread up your arm. We'll come back to you in a bit. Are we back? We're back. you're back all right you're back you're back you are well you're back you're back uh welcome back um so hello uh he's near us and the rest the key is now strut the nice thing is i don't even need to tell riannon anything i know riannon's not going That's everything. The key is now Strahd.

The nice thing is I don't even need to tell Rhiannon anything. I know Rhiannon's not going to tell you anything and just nod because I know Rhiannon's like, mm-hmm, yep. She's probably a demon now, but that's fine. I don't know. You don't know. Stuff is happening. He's not.

He's not. Based on what we just talked about before of, like, not sure if Xeros knows or not, I'm just going to instinctively go and look out the window and see what he's doing. And also whilst walking there, say to everyone that's up here, if they're still around, I don't know

if Rose went off actually. Is it just Shadow? Yeah, I don't know how far I am yet, but... Yeah, you're far enough. Regardless of the tragedy that's happened, I don't know why I've gone

Australian. You're sounding a little on. Ow! What's the matter it's Mark did I catch you pushing too many pencils no no I can't do it I don't know how to go back in

everything's gone now I'm okay perhaps if it helps if you do more of a sort of yes okay now more than ever friends I think it's important to stay together Yes. Okay. Now more than ever, friends, I think it's important to stay together.

Regardless. And keep an eye on Zeros. He's important to us. And what he does next is very important. We need him and he needs us. Where is he? That's a great question. Well, is Xeros gone anywhere?

He's hanging up the ground outside. Just going nuts. I guess when you look outside, I'm like on my knees looking at the dagger, but there is like huge waves of dirt that has just been cut out of the ground where this vampire was.

And like there's a broadsword how many broadswords do I have now two I guess they're both just embedded in the ground yeah and I'm slowly kind of like getting up again is Mark will

he doesn't touch you but you can you can feel his he kind of approaches you. I am sorry, my friend. I cannot imagine the pain of losing someone like that so close to me. I don't know what I would do if it was Irina in that place. But whatever I can do

to help you get revenge, to make this right, I'll do it. That's what you need. I know I'd do anything to get my sister back. She isn't gone yet. I'm like cradling the dagger, kind of. Almost really close to me, like closer than normal. And also trying to wrench the broad fraud sword out of the ground.

Yeah, I mean, you can pull it free. Ismark doesn't seem to... Yeah. Ismark doesn't seem to notice the dagger, but he puts his hand on your shoulder and he kind of crouches down. There are places in this world, hand on your shoulder and he crouches down. There are places in this

world. There are powers here. If there is anywhere that can bring the dead back to life, somebody in Barovia will know how. I don't know if they can be trusted. I don't know if they're under the sway of the devil, but you're right.

She's not gone. You can bring her back. I'm certain of it, Gwen. I'll give you a moment. If there's something you need to do, don't hesitate. Do what you must. Stay true to the people that are close to us. He kind of pats you on the shoulder and then he starts

making his way inside and opening the main door. Leaves you kind of for the moment. Yes, but yeah, you return to the rest. For Rose, who went off exploring, you find that the... If you spend a few

minutes exploring this upper hall, you find a number of kind of buildings I'm gonna try and just put the lighting so you guys can see everything okay I guess it's like you should explore this point right

so I don't know if that's worked yeah man that skull and crossbones next to ziki's icon right so there's a couple of things you notice one is the chamber that the vampire spawn came out of appears to be a library um it has been trashed books have been pulled off of it uh many of them discarded it looks like somebody was searching for something in here opposite the library and rose you are the first person to notice this there's another door directly opposite and when you open it it leads into a abandoned bedroom um it looks like the the room

wasn't occupied when the attack on this mansion took place but the thing that immediately draws your attention in the dark dim light of whatever torch or light source you have is that there is a shelf and table and bit and cabinet and you know bed sart and bed and it is covered in tiny stitched handmade dolls and every single one of them looks identical to irena it's unmistakably irena um the girl that you have met and have been accompanying different outfits some of them wear dresses some of them wear more sort of hunters clothes

one wears a white wedding gown but they are all unmistakably Irena hair color eyes skin just like even like her little beauty mark and things like that all exactly the same that's fucked up the last thing of note uh you also see what yes but found you find the room with the wedding dress

uh you find a bathroom and in the master bedroom where there was clearly people were killed and dragged out the thing that yes but didn't notice when he first went in there is that there is a um rooftop like an attic trap door that a ladder can be pulled down from that leads into an attic above can i go back to the creepy doll room? Yes, yeah, clearly. Can I... Actually, can I go via the group and just say to Shadow and Jesper,

can you come with me just a second? Irina, would you mind staying with Siki? Yes, of course. Yes, of course, my friend. I don't really want to leave her right now. Ismark comes upstairs. What have you found? I'll take them to the doll room

without bringing Irina or Ismark. And just... I don't know. Assess this, please. Creepy dolls. This is Arena. All of them. This is creepy and eerie.

This is rather unusual. Do you pick up any of the dolls? I don't think you have so far. You haven't picked up any of the dolls yet, have you? Okay. Just tell me if you do. No, I don't want to. What a thing to say.

What a thing to say, Mark. The dolls are creepy enough. It's almost like I know how to push your buttons a bit, isn't it? It's almost like I know. The dolls are creepy enough on their own. I don't need to touch it to know that it's creepy. Thank you. Xeros, what are you doing?

I want to know. Well, they're investigating creepy doll room. I've got like a nice triple courage to it. Yeah, I'm going to go into that room and pick up a doll. No, I'm going to come into the house and I'm going to start coming up the stairs and I guess I'll see Ismark and Irina.

I suppose what they see is like the slowest walk. Like I'm coming up the stairs as slow as possible because the moment I see it, the moment I see the body, like there's a really broken look in his eyes for like a second that quickly turns to anger. Like everything tenses up and then it's like conflicting again and it's like changing and

every second they look it's like a different emotion and it's like everything stopping him from just like punching a wall or breathing acid all over the damn place or so yeah I'll come up and uh i guess see ziki's body and then two around it as well yeah irena makes her way over to you and as she gets closer that effect from the ring that

sort of comfort that sense of things being right does help a little bit as she kind of gets closer and she just places a hand on like your chest and rests her forehead kind of against your big broad chest and just kind of whispers through like some muffled sobs like of her own I'm so sorry I'm so sorry

I mean it's unlike Zeros but he's a little speechless's unlike Zeros, but he's a little speechless. Definitely unlike Zeros. Yeah. He's just not really saying anything. He's just unbroken gaze against like Ziki and

like he knows she's there, but like it's not. It's tunnel vision. Yeah, I think Irina might have she's there, but it's not. It's tunnel vision. I think Irina might have covered up most of her body with her cloak that she was wearing, so the kind of horrid, withered

arms and body and stuff is all hidden by this cloak, but the face is uncovered. You can still see her face, and it looks deathly shrunken and ill. Her eyes black. And you just feel that intense heat from the dagger that you're clutching. That heat almost becomes like a pulse, like a... Is that irregular to normal or is it actually like...

Maybe. You're not sure if you noticed it before or if it's just started happening but or if i'm starting to really properly imagine with him yeah all going on right what about doll room any any doll room crew anything you guys cut to me doing a full theatrical performance Punch and Judy style with all the dolls. Ah! Ah! I'm a reaper! No, I don't do anything. I'm just very taken back by it all. They said she's important, right?

To Estrade. And that Sol's something is not right can I make some sort of check as to ascertaining what dolls mean or what they represent or

yeah what do you want to do what kind of insight I guess insight okay yeah you're trying to ascertain like the meaning of something I'd say make an insight check it's more for reading body language normally but insight check I'd say

I mean eight looks like a bunch of like child's dolls like they look like small little dolls made for a small child like you know a little girl or a little boy who wanted to collect a bunch of dolls, but it's just, they're all the same person.

I think the question to my mind is, were these brought here by the vampire spawn? Were they here when the Burgomaster was here? were they here when the Burgomaster was here is this part of well Strahd's plan Rose I would say

that with your kind of nature as a hunter and a tracker there were no tracks like there's a fine small amount of dust kind of in this room that indicates it's undisturbed for at least a week maybe longer. Oh, I will relay that.

I can't remember, did we figure out when the Burgermaster was killed? About a week to two weeks ago. Hmm. Hmm. There was also an attic I haven't gone up there yet but

a wedding dress in another room there's a doll with a wedding dress on it there's an attic arena as a doll over and over again we know that Strad wants her now there's a wedding dress i just seems like a very unhealthy obsession with arena specifically arena How old is the devil, would you say, Jesper?

Centuries. We don't know for sure. He's been alive longer than all of us. Madame Ava knew something more, but it's not something you ask. He just always has been. Do you know if he has taken brides before uh you would know that he has definitely taken girls he's never married or like had brides but he is definitely taken many lovers not just girls sometimes young men that he finds interesting and attractive as well but bride is implies a certain level of commitment that

you do not believe the devil to have this is a fixation that his small flings and appetites haven't even come close to this is more than that

so is it haven't even come close to. This is more than that. So, is it Burgermaster's fantasy, or is it Strahd's fantasy? Hmm. Mark, can I pick up one of the dolls? Yeah, pick it up. Look at his face! Pick it his face it's a small doll it has

no real movable joints but it's incredibly well made it's beautifully well made the clothing has all been handmade and there is a small little tag on the inside of the clothing that says is no fun

is no blinksy is no Blinksy. Is no Blinksy. Is no fun, is no Blinksy. I feel we need to pay a visit to this Blinksy who is definitely making toys out of children's bones or some such. But yes.

I'm starting to get a feel for this land that we're in. Yes, but I don't mean to offend, but apart from yourself and your fellow kin, I don't feel that there is a healthy

mindset here. When you're born to land of darkness, you don't have much choice to bring joy, like Zeke did. What's Blinksy? Looks like he tried. I'm not

feeling much joy from these dolls. I don't think Blinxy is is he's not bringing joy to me right now this is obsession and very very odd as a small detail the dolls are not creepy like apart from the fact that they all look like irena they are not like their visages they are creepy but their visages are not creepy they are not you know haunting in it like they are not like their visages they are creepy but their visages are not creepy they are not you know haunting in it like they are not um made to look creepy they are very pretty and they're very nice like something a child would enjoy playing with but they are creepy by their nature yes i give you that have you ever been in a room that's just full of dolls like the glass oh yeah

dude my nan collected my nan collects dolls. Like, yeah, I hate them. It doesn't matter that it's not made to look like a freak show, but just being in a room full of inanimate staring objects. Yeah, but what I mean is that they are, they look like a child would genuinely, this would be a lovely toy for a child.

Zeros, anything you want to do in the corridor? I know you're currently, you know going through the emotional trauma but is there any actions you want to take or anything you want to decide to do so i mean the thing is like as far as xeros is concerned right this this this church of the ruby rod is filled with cultists and creepy evil people. Maybe it was a little while ago.

Oh, right. Okay. So it is quite late. It's been here for a little bit of time. It's at least been like an hour or two hours or so. By the time you got here, by the time you kind of crept through the streets, by the time you had to fight, by the time you've done everything else, you've probably had like two hours or so.

They might have been. You don't know. Because I'm just trying to figure out if the logical steps of making this work if it does actually make sense that Xeroth knows that

like to go there. I think that Xeroth Yeah. does actually make sense that xeros knows that like to go there i i think xeros yeah i i think that xeros everybody has at least a basic understanding of who as modius is and knows that devils make deals and out of all the devils as modius is the deal maker that is he is people when you need something when you need something so desperately that you're willing to make a deal with the devil they have the power to make almost anything happen but there might be some truth there might be some strings attached mind but everybody kind of has that that knowledge um and in terms of like will there

be cultists there you don't know does xeros Zeros afraid of cultists? Or is Zeros like, I want my sister back, I'll kill them all if they try and stop me? That's another question. Yeah, that's fair. Okay, in that case, I think in the time that they're, you know, playing with dolls and stuff, I'm going to pick up Ziki's body and sort of say to Irina

and Ismark Would you even say anything? Something along the lines of that Ziki will be back and that Zeros might see them again. Oh. and that Zeros might see them again yeah and then basically start making his way out of the building

with Irina calls she's like Zeros wait and Ismark stops her he's like no sister let him go he knows what must be done and he just he gives you like a proper warrior sort of bite you got it bro you know what me is mark and skelly bro his only friends

yeah you start you begin making your way uh down and out and i'm guessing you're going over the shirt would we have heard that or at least heard arena well i'm sure we would have heard arena shout out i think that let's shall we say kim for the sake of dramatic effect no you didn't

shall we say that for the dramatic effect of of uh zeros having a cool going off on his own thing that no you don't hear you're having a conversation no no that's true maybe you hear say like Xeros stopped by that point like I'm

yeah he's already out he's down the stairs and out and yeah you guys can hear Ireena but yeah okay yeah so you're like... I'm not sprinting. No, no. You guys can hear Ireena if you want.

Terminator walk. You know, that really fast Terminator walk. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. What about doll crew? Do you guys react? Is there anything you want to do? Can I make my way towards what you said

was like the attics? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's in the master bedroom. Yeah. Yeah, by this point, Zeros and Ziki are probably downstairs. Yeah, you would.

You'd see that Ziki's body's gone. Oh, okay. If we go past there, then I'd probably stop for that. You have to basically go past those guys. Irina looks. Ismark will step forward. If you look like you're

wondering where Ziki's going, if any of you ask, Ismark is just like I think that Zeros needs to have a moment with her I think he needs to process this he needs to come to terms with it on his own he wants to believe that she can come

back he wants to believe that she can come back right I don't think that's... I don't think that's good. Anything that comes back here is... Doesn't come back quite right. If you could bring Ava back, would you? Huh.

No. No, I would not. It was her destiny. And you're a strong man, Jesper of the Vistani. I'm not sure I could. And he looks at Irina. If I lost somebody I cared about, I think I would do anything to bring them back. Even in this place.

Sometimes things that they come back as could be worse. Sometimes it's best for them not to. I worry that especially in this place, that that would be very much the case.

But I understand. Right. that that would be very much the case. But I understand. He just kind of, we must all follow our own path. Trust me, there are things here that I understand what you mean, but... Barovia is a land of ancient magic. Not everything is vampires or... Well. Sometimes people just come back with...

I don't know. Not everyone... You were... You were with us, though, earlier when you saw Nikolai, correct? Yes. The man with the undead eyes and the monstrous arm.

You... I understand the nobility behind it, but given where we are and given that we are stood in a village that has people who have come back on a pact with Asmodeus.

He looks quite sternly. If you wish to go and stop your friend, I won't get in your way, but we only have a few things to cling to here, Mistress Shadow. Some of us

can't bear the thought of losing what we care about even if they came back as a monster love is unconditional yes he just gestures to the stairs like if you want to go and stop him

but Ismark shows no sign of moving himself those are words of the dark lord himself did he not have the same unconditional love I don't know did he you know more about the devil than I do your people served him and were his favorites for a long time. But is it so wrong to love someone even if they are sick or if they are... They have their moments of evil?

I think we're all stricken with grief and we need to take some time to recover let's support Zeros we also need to find what you came here looking for no matter what is

I do not think that Zeki or Zeros would want you to give up on that search. There's a tool here, something that can help you and me and Irina fight against the devil. Perhaps our energies are best spent looking for that. You're right. Yes.

There is an attic room we haven't looked in. Zeke's death won't be for nothing. We need to make sure that we get all that we can't looked in. Zeki's death won't be for nothing. We need to make sure that we get all that we can from this place. Yes, what are we looking for again? What was it that the reading said that we would find here? Something about

the past or knowledge? Knowledge. Knowledge of the ancient. Something to do with finding a house of corruption, which I think we successfully did. A dark room full of still ghosts. Well, perhaps...

Ismark and I can search these rooms. Rose, I know that you have searched through them, but perhaps a more detailed investigation. Perhaps you and your friend should check upstairs. Wait, still ghosts. That reminds me of the dolls, does it not? What dolls?

There's... I'll go check. You wait here. Search the rest of the place. Look for something that's... Alright. And Irina will go off

in the direction of the bathroom and the dressing room. As Mark will go with her. As you guys begin. What do you guys want to do? We need to collect the dolls and make sure she doesn't see them. I'm kind of just wondering.

There's like a hundred dolls. There's like a hundred of them. Okay. We can't hide those. Is it wise to maybe let them know? Maybe. I don't know how

to approach the subject, but also, we all know that something is going on why else would strad want arena this this is another piece of information that we might be able to use to our advantage somehow as creepy as it is well let's take one and hide it and then look for in that room something to do with knowledge quickly there's a library across from it but also yes

but yeah we can have a look but then we have to go up this attic okay so you guys go to search the doll room I just don't know that Shadow would be happy with Xero? Yeah. I don't know that Shadow would be happy with Xeros going off. I don't know that she would stop him.

But I just feel that she would be attached to Zeke wanting... Because she knows about grief, right? She knows about the moment of grief when someone dies. And I feel like it's in her remit that she would be concerned for Zeros and almost wanting to counsel but I don't think she would stop him but at least just be there so I don't know if she would just go after

him or not I mean it sounds like Shadow is weighing that up as the others are searching around and it sounds like that is playing on your mind yeah unless you have a decisive like up as the others are searching around and it sounds like that that is playing on your mind. Unless you have a decisive shadow is going to go after him that is what I would do.

You can still change your mind. In the future? Yeah, yeah, yeah. There's windows all around this place. See how far, like where he is, like how far he is. If you go to the bedroom window, I would imagine that he's around the side of the house and if you kind of make your way to the front of the house to look out the window you can see the smashed window that he jumped out of you see him down the street

walking uh back towards the inn you see him like with the body walking back towards the inn's I think Rose will probably pick up on what Shadow was doing you see Shadow go to the window and is like looking out looking out into the darkness and only Shadow can really see and that's like you'll just see like the very dark shape that you know is

Zeros like in the darkness I think that Zeros, like in the darkness? I think that Zeros needs to be alone. I think that he has a lot of anger and I worry

that what you might say just now might not be helpful to him, but it might be soon. It's not that I want to stop him. I just fear that he's about to do something very stupid. I have experience with grief I have experience with the anger and the stupidity the stupid things people do in the moment of experiencing it and I just think here in this village where there is a church to the

Ruby rod to the demon the devil that makes. I think he's about to do something very, very silly, and I don't know whether to be witness to it or not. And on that note, can I ask you all to remove your headphones again, except for Rhianna.

Oh, man. Ring! Ring! Ring! Hello. Oh, man. Ling! Wee! Wee! Hi, Ring. Hi, Ring. Hello. Hello.

So, as you are standing there, you feel this cold numbing kind of beginning to trace up your limbs. And then a shadowy ink pen, like a quill, like a feather, begins to form in your hand, and an ethereal- a feather begins to form in your hand and an ethereal looking parchment begins to roll the pact will grant you

power and protection against the undead but you must serve us and rid this world of Strahd. You must prevent him from escaping child's joy. He forged a pact.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What happens when all of this is over? What happens if we succeed then we will give you Barodia you shall become its new ruler to rule as you wish I could bring joy

back I could help this place find happiness again. Joy, yes, yes. But you must stop his plan. You must stop him escaping. You must destroy him. This is our covenant. I suppose it's what I came here to do.

He will kill your brother if you do not. His grief, his rage will lead him to Strahd, and Strahd will strike him down. Okay, for Zeros. Foriseros. I'll do it. Viseros. You must first sign our pact as you

understand it. And then attest. We will place you on the road back. And you must walk it. Only if you have the road back, and you must walk it. Only if you have the strength to return

will you re-enter your life. Okay. What would this test have? What will it be? You must walk the path that is all we can tell you

okay i've just got to walk on a path like i just did that will be fine it's just i've done that i've walked before i I like walking. Each step will represent a struggle of life and death to master undeath.

You must have lived. Our covenant is made. Our pact is signed. Our pact is signed. Child of joy, you are now. Do not die. And you feel your body pulled,

and a single road opens up on the mists ahead of you. Ooh! I love it! Yes! Please do that thing again when bad stuff happens and she just goes nuts about it. Yeah. So she's a level 20, like, what was it,

Alzra? She is Asmodeus. Yeah, yeah, yeah. so she's a level 20 like what was it she is so those of you in the house what's the plan so I heard some Jesper was going to search the dolls room so we know that Jesper's going to do that Rose and Shadow were hanging out by their window trying to decide what they wanted to do

what's the plan can I do a search please yeah you can make an investigation check in the doll's room investigation 17 nice you spend a few minutes so this is it takes some time right you're going through drawers you're like pulling things down. And there's a couple of things you find. First of all, in a, you brush some of the dolls off of a wooden chest and open it up. And inside you find a suit of scale armor and two short swords.

Both designed for a very burly, very broad-shouldered person. But one of the arms has been removed, so it looks like the arm would be completely free and unsleeved, and then the other arm would be armored. And it looks very large. And then the short swords are very imposing

and intimidating. They have, like, barbed hooks on, hooks on parts of the blade and things like that. Very nasty-looking weapons. But apart from those two things, and the dolls, and then a few changes of clothes and some boots, you don't find anything else of any real value in here. What was the armor called? It's just scale armor. Scale called? It's just scale armor.

Scale armor. It's just scale armor. It's medium armor, I believe. Scale mail? Good for a little scale mail. Yeah, scale mail. And the swords, though. What would you cast those in? Short swords. Just short swords. It'd be good for a little prestation arm, wouldn't it?

Rose and Shadow, what about you guys? While Jesper is searching. Yeah, so I think having some kind of guidance from Rose, well not guidance, but sharing of opinions with Rose, I think. Shadow, watch until Xeros is out of her

eyesight. Out of view. And then, just, I don't know, very unhappily turn away and follow whatever rose does like she's very distracted she's very like yeah worried i just want us to make make the most of what we have here find what we need to find and then as soon as we do we should check on him give him a moment and then check on him did you see where he he went I can't see that far he went off towards the inn but well then we can go back there let's quickly search what we can and go to the inn

at least he's not going to the church hmm hmm um what yeah geographically speaking is that in the it's in a different direction how much do you remember of the map

is it in a different yeah sure it's in a different direction. How much do you remember of the map? Is it in a different direction? Yeah, sure. It's in a different direction. Shadow doubts. From what I remember, it was like the inn where we were and we went across to get to the Burgermaster House where we are and the church was way up a hill in a different direction

from what I remember of the map. Sure, sure. That sounds great. Yeah, that's what Rose remembers of the map. Sure, sure. That sounds great. Yeah, that's what Rose remembers of the map. So, yeah. No, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm not saying you're right. I'm saying that that's very in-character. That's what you're role-playing.

And, yeah, absolutely. I fully support it. I think Shadow has done it in her heart. Given her experience with... So, the question is, though, is what are you doing? I'll follow Rose. Yeah. Alright, Jesper, I'm closing the door,

and then I'll go into the library opposite and start rummaging through that. Sure, okay. So, Rose and Shadow, you guys probably kind of pass the corridor, and you can see Jesper kind of making his way into the library to rummage around. He's going into the library.

I believe the husband of the Burgomaster, the new one, owns this. Nikolai. Nikolai. With the arm. I don't know if I should take it,

but I'm taking it, but I'm taking it, so I'm going to check in the library now. I think we should be quick. We don't know when their church ceremony will end. This is very important. If we don't get the knowledge, then all of this is for naught. I'm going towards

the attic. I'll go towards the attic while he's shadowing. Go with Rose. Yes. Jesper, give me another investigation check. Rose and Shadow. Rose, it doesn't take much with the hook of your

longbow. You can hook the little toggle that opens the trapdoor and a ladder wooden ladder folds down and locks into place. Jesper, you spend a good sort of like five, ten minutes. Most of this place has been searched

judging by the claw marks and some of the scorching you suspect the dragonborn vampire was in here searching for something. It gives the impression that he was pulling books down, opening them, trying to find something in this room, but didn't find it. You find a variety of tomes and books, historical treaties.

You find books on grim fairy tales. You find books on manufacturing methods. But it's all fairly mundane. It's a good collection. but it's all fairly mundane it's a good collection perhaps you maybe find one particularly rare book worth about 25 gold on herbal mixtures

for common diseases and illnesses that if you find somebody interested in those subject matters you could probably sell for about 25 gold but nothing really else it's all fairly mundane okay I'll head towards the attic then collecting the things that are worth 25 gold

yeah there's only one there's only one book which is worth 25 gold and then rose and shadow because then we're going to have a nice long bit with xeros nice oh my throat's going to love that

yeah so nice my throat's gonna love that yeah so you made your choice for that voice there Tom you made your choice you should get a voice changer oh I should I don't think they might do Geralt mods sadly

I'm just trying to figure out just cut a soundboard from the Witcher so that's true badly. Just cut a soundboard from The Witcher. That's true. I'm going to move you up here just so you can see what's going on. Yeah, that fur. So the trapdoor and the ladder

leads up, you might need to scroll up on Roll20 a bit, Tromp. It leads into a dusty 20-foot square room. It's got a high-pitched ceiling that reaches its peak 20 feet above you. The wooden rafters are shrouded in cobwebs, except for an old table with an unlit

lantern on it. There is a door in the south wall, and that is what you see. The door is actually open, actually, and appears to lead into a much larger space that is full of things. You can see the shapes of boxes and everything else in there. Can I light the lantern or torch so that we can see a bit better?

Yeah, it's actually got oil in it. With a small strike of a tinderbox, you get this waxy yellow light that emerges from the lantern and casting that over uh yeah you can you can see quite clearly um and if you if you peer through the door you can see what appears to be as you shine the lantern around um a large attic is full of old forgotten things all draped in white sheets that make them look like phantoms gliding in amongst all the rows of junk

piled around them are barrels crates, trunks and old furnishings covered with cobwebs and dust you can see a clear footpath through the maze and what appears to be another open door on the other end of this

cluttered attic chamber. And yes, the sheets do give it the sense of ghosts wandering around the room. Hmm. Silent ghosts. There is certainly no noise I also

cast light on the end of my what do I have, a court staff? Yeah, that you've got plenty of light to fill this room up can I start wandering into the room yeah yeah you begin making your way along the footpath and yeah you can see that there are all sorts of uh trunks and chests and crates and barrels um all full of all different materials and and uh everything else um it will take you some time, like you suspect that

searching this place will take with three of you at least an hour to thoroughly search through everything. But there is also this open door at the other end of the room itself. Oh, an open door, you say? Yeah. The far end. Yeah. You can see

not blood, but you can see almost what looks like scorch marks just on the edges of that doorway as if it's been opened and a trap has been set off would you say? it certainly looks like the door was opened and then there is a kind of blackened

scorch mark around the doorway itself but from this distance it's hard to see like Like, if you get closer you might be able to see more. Can I... Yeah, okay. You go. Also, we've hit $1,000 in donations.

I did see. I was going to mention it. Thank you very much, everybody. Good job. Thank you. Excellent stuff. Amazing. You go. Can i make my way towards the door yeah please uh yeah you look inside you can see now that

amongst the scorch marks around the door um tiny glyphs and runes had been engraved into them um but now they just look like scratches in the floorboards looking inside you can see what appears to be a small study there is a desk covered with um a couple of rolled up scrolls you can see a book with arcane writing is open on the main desk itself uh there is um

small work benches with uh what appear to be several bones, perhaps of a cat. And in the corner, three dressmakers mannequins dressed up as little students facing the wall. What is it with this place? Yeah, it's creepy, right? Yeah, that's creepy, right? Yeah. That's what you see.

This is a lot to search through. Yeah, it's going to take time. I think there might be something useful in here if people understand glyphs better than I do. I'll go into this little room. Into the room. Yeah, when when you step inside when you look to your right hand side you can see that a rug has been thrown um up like a rug that covered a corner of the room has been pulled up and there is what appears to be a sequence of sigils in a

circle but several of them have been cut out or like scraped over um they have been marred and disrupted in general some of them have been sort of like completely rendered unreadable um and it appears to be some sort of like magic glyph that has been defaced in some way um uh and yeah you begin making your way looking around um the room you can see the two scrolls the open book and then this work benches of dead cat bones and various other open journal um is there anything written in abyssal in any of this or celestial um the the runes on the floor and and stuff like that no the book does not appear to be a language. Well, it's probably written in a mixture of common and arcane sigils.

It looks like a wizard spell book. It looks like the spell book of somebody who is learning magic. You can see several spells and notes and things like that. One page in particular seems to be dedicated almost entirely to some sort of incomplete spell that was never finished. And when you kind of reach out to touch it, you hear an echoey voice.

Please don't touch that. Oh. And anyone else? Does everyone hear that, or is it just chat? Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, everyone hears that, yeah. Oh. What was that?

Ah. Hello. No, no. Yes. Hello. Have you come to pick amongst the bones of what is left by my family, like so many others? I'm surprised that the walking dragon has not eaten you yet. He's dead.

Ah, at last! Some good news. Are you the original Burgomaster? I suppose in a way I am, but I'm also not. I would have become the Burgomaster after my father was killed, but that bitch Fiona Wachter ruined that.

Ruined that. What happened? Just to be clear, we're not here to pick through. We're trying to find a way to solve a lot of this. We're very aware of Fiona and so far not a fan.

Yes, I don't imagine that she is. Well, I'm surprised. She is smart and clever, but she made imagine that you would. She is. Well, I am surprised. She is smart and clever, but she made enemies of their own. Especially me. And your name is? A talking cat.

Interesting. You are most fascinating. Perhaps if I can find a way out of my predicament, yes, I could study. My name is Victor Velakovich. The true heir, I suppose, of the Latin.

Do not worry, I am not some phantom or ghost haunting the place. I am trapped. I am not some phantom or ghost haunting the place I am trapped you look around there's nobody here this voice is echoing weirdly and there is clearly nobody

in this room how are you trapped let us just say that my magical experiment was conducted at the worst time possible. I was unable to return before Fiona ruined my circle.

Circle. Try the rug over there, Rose. It's already uncovered. You can see that there was this ruined magic circle underneath it. Ross. It's already uncovered. Yeah, the rug already moved. You can see that there was this ruined magic circle underneath it. Yeah.

Yes, yes. That one. How she knew about it, I don't know, but she knew exactly what to do to disrupt the magic and prevent me from returning. Where are you? I would not expect simpletons like you to understand.

But needless to say, I am stuck. Right. I imagine it's some sort of teleportation circle to another plane. Are you stuck? The cat is perhaps the smartest one. Something like that.

The ethereal border precise is one of the few planes that can be accessed. I was attempting to escape this miserable prison. It seems that my calculations were incorrect. Now I'm stuck. Of course, cat, if you are truly smart, perhaps we can make some sort of arrangement. I have a few things that I can assist with. All I need you to do is kill Fiona and complete my circle. I mean, I don't particularly want to end up like my brethren down here and I point on the bench of cat bones.

up like my brethren down here and I point on the bench of cat bones. Oh, no, I'm quite done studying anatomy and animation of the dead. No, you are more interesting. It's a specimen to study alive. It seems you are

on the back foot of negotiations. If you want to come back, you need someone on this side to help you. Either you will help me or not. I'm not really here to bargain. You are either an enemy of the Onovoktor or just here to loot the house. And quite honestly, I cannot stop you. Not from where I am. But I could be of help.

My magic is quite powerful. And no doubt you'll have need of a man of my arcane skill in this place. I could be quite the ally if I wasn't stuck. And with

that, I'm just gonna quickly cut to our good friend, Zeros. Angry friend. Zeros. Yeah. You slowly, slowly make your way through the darkened streets of Vallaki. Yeah. darkened streets of the lackey yeah whatever lights are on in the houses as you pass quickly dim as they see your shape moving through the streets carrying ziki's body wrapped in the cloak you are undisturbed you do not encounter clockwork men or soldiers or guards and eventually you wind

your way towards the church that sits at the top of a small hill overlooking the rest of the town you approach its tall wooden doors its great gothic arches looming over the head of you and the dagger in your hand

continues to pulse and beat like a heart. The doors are closed. You can hear voices inside. Well, then I'm going to start really slamming at the door. Yeah. at the door yeah the pounding reverberates through the stone and you hear fiona wachter's voice who is that who could that be get the door um and the doors are opened by a dusky skinned woman with red hair that spills down her shoulders. She appears to be wearing priestess robes that tightly fit around

her rather curvaceous body and bears the symbol of three overlapping triangles. And when she sees you, she smiles. Ah.

Yeah. Come in. Come in. you she smiled ah yeah come in come in welcome to the church of the ruby rod uh she turns and begins making her way back but you see beyond her fiona and a few of her guards look up in surprise fiona wachter looks up what is he doing here? what are you doing here, drac? and she begins to kind of choke on her words as her eyes roll back and turn black and you see the guards just fall to the ground unconscious but the woman just leads you

says, please, come you've brought quite a little tribute to our church, I believe. What has happened to them? The lord of this church wishes to speak with you, but he knows it will be problematic if they are

conscious. And you see Fiona's body kind of snaps back her eyes still completely black but she smiles as she looks to you and a very different voice emerges from her mouth welcome warrior you have brought quite a little trinket back to my church I am in prayer come bring her before me

Zeros Mistet he knows my name alright yeah I'll follow the only conscious lady. Yeah. Yeah. She like gestures.

She actually kind of like... Yeah, she like places her hand on your back and sort of like guides you. It's alright. Everything is going to be fine. We're going to make sure that you are well looked after you have carried my master's

work with you quite carefully we must make sure that you are treated with respect and she smiled place her upon the altar I trust you I give you my word that she will be safe but will she be returned ah that and she gestures to the body of fiona wachter who now

has pulled up a chair and sits in it uh her fingers steepled well that my dear warrior depends entirely on an arrangement if we can come to one. Are you willing to discuss terms? Of course. Good. I see that you care for her deeply. But you are a strong warrior as well. Make no assumptions, make no mis... I am not here to try and ensorcer you into some sort of unfair deal.

I am bound by the laws of Primus himself to honor a contract as it is agreed with any person. We can come to an arrangement. I assume that you wish to see your sister returned to life, correct? Yes. Well, I will lay my terms. You tell me if they sound good, yes? I'm really like

responding, I'm just kind of waiting for him to carry on a man of so few words it is rare that I have the chance to speak with one who is not well, many people run their mouths at quite a speed when they speak with me. This is refreshing.

Your sister will be returned to life, and I will bless her with my protection. Should she fall again, I will make sure that she is protected from an untimely death for a time. I will also give you a powerful weapon to defend her with, and I will share information with you about your enemy, Strahd von Zorich. In exchange, you will give me back the Blade of Nessus and complete three tasks for me. Three simple tasks.

And they are? The first task will be to locate the soul of Tatiana, the bride-to-be of Sergei Von Zarovich, and mark her with the weapon I give you. A single cut will do, nothing untoward.

The second task will be to retrieve the dying embers of Strahd von Zarovich's soul, what little of it there remains, which can be found in the place that he surrendered it to forge his dark pack long ago. The third task will be to, on my command, return Strahan von Zarovich's soul to him. You agree to these terms and our pact is made? Well, I will ensure that your sister is returned to life, given the protection that I mentioned, and a weapon will be presented. If you fail to comply with these tasks, and you do not deliver them within, shall we say, a month's time, you will be met with orphanage, which will be your soul and your sister's soul. I will erase Fiona's memory of seeing you at this church.

I must ensure that my involvement with you and your companions is perhaps kept silent. So, how does that all sound? When Strahd regains his soul, what then? Your work will be complete. You will need do nothing more. Of anything you wish to do, if you wish to slay him in revenge, if you wish to butcher his servants, by all means, my

dear Dragonborn, do as you wish. Do whatever your soul tells you. My business with you will be completed upon these three tasks. You and your sister will be completed upon these three tasks. You and your sister will be free to live your lives whatever you desire. And she will still be Ziki? I will return to her to life and I will make no adjustments to her personality.

The process of returning to life is romantic. I cannot promise you that she will be exactly the same, but I will make no untoward or eldritch influence on my behalf. As you think about this yeah okay

you don't need to set your headphones off at this point Ziki you begin walking this path lay down before you and at the end of it you can see the vague shadowy

shape of a church you can see a shadowed figure holding you your body in his arms and you know it is your brother as he holds you close to his chest the first step you take you feel this crushing weight drive down upon your shoulders as it feels like

earth, like a grave is being piled on top of your back. As you try and move, you feel the weight of every mistake, every indecision, every time you have hesitated, pull down on your body. Can you make a strength saving throw

for me? Yes, please. What have you done? How many, boy? Where was that last week? Knowing that your brother is out there waiting for you, you forge forward, each step coming

harder, but eventually you fall into a rhythm despite this crushing weight on you and then almost as quickly as it come it vanishes and you gasp for breath as you take a few more steps you take a few more and this time you begin to see the shadowed figures of your past other members of your clan the people that you know had influenced what happened between you and Xeros the shadowed memories of regrets

of anger, of jealousy reaching out to you as they lay their hands upon you and you feel them trying to tear at your mind and pull you away you make a charisma save that's an A

you feel those envies those jealousies they begin to swell and form into an inky blackness that seems to coalesce and form filling your arms with intense cold your hands shape into claws that you can't control you manage to bat the figures away but you can still feel that clinging jealousy regret kind of clawing at your chest as you continue forward.

Zeros, back in the church, you see the form of Fiona Wachter staring at you with these pitch black eyes. Well, my dear warrior, a fair deal of my fee.

Did he mention a time span? I might have missed the time span a bit. One month to complete the three tasks. Of course, perhaps if I feel that you are making progress, I could extend it. But this is to ensure that you do not try and, well, keep the tasks indefinite. I think that only fair, don't you?

If she returns and she's not Ziki, the deal changes. I'm afraid that that is beyond my power. I can only promise you that I do not have... I will exert no influence upon her return. But, of course, as a caring brother,

you will be able to help her with any trauma. Your companions will be able to aid her with any sadness that returns with her, I'm sure. Whatever happens, whatever changes her, will not be of my doing. That is the best I can offer. But I represent one of your best chances to bring her back. The other powers here in Barovia, well, I cannot promise you that they will be as...

...uninvasive as I am. They will corrupt her, They will change her. But I do not need you. You will perform these tasks for me. I will get what I desire through these tasks. The powers here in Barovia are not so kind. So,

Fiona holds out a hand, and you can see a blade, a thin blade made of black iron comes into it. We will bond it in blood, if you agree. A simple cut of the hand, forged in blood. Yeah, in that case, I'll Nessus Dagger. May as well use that, why not? Oh, I do like the poetry of it.

I'll, uh, yeah. I guess cut the hand. Cut my hand. You hold the blood in your hand. The woman, the priestess, holds forth a long scroll which is written in a language you don't understand.

She holds it below. Allow the blood drip onto the cake. And as you unclench your palm, the blood drop begins to fall. Zeke, you see those last few steps. You can see your brother in front of you. The shadowy figures,

the dark powers that have granted you this pact to return to life surround you. Yes, child. Yes. Keep stepping forward, child of joy. Remember our pact, our covenant. You must destroy Strahd. You must prevent

him from escaping. He has made a deal. He has made a deal to escape from this place with a power beyond. He constructs machines in his castle. He seeks to escape his prison, and you must stop him. Child of Joy. And with those last few steps, you rush forward,

you feel your body collapse as you are pulled into your body. As the last bit of blood touches the parchment, Zeros, you watch as Zeki her breath inhales her eyes flutter open her form is still a little withered but nowhere near as badly as it once was

her form unnourished but alive well our deal is sealed I suggest you go but alive. Well, our deal is sealed. I suggest you go return to your companions before this one, and he gestures to his bod, to Vienna's body, before this one

remembers. Um, okay, I'll, uh, yeah, I'll go pick up Ziki, I guess, help her stand and hold her very tightly. You can see she's still weak.

Probably not enough to stand. Ziki, your eyes are adjusting. You think you hear a deep male voice. You appear to be in some sort of church, but your eyes... It's like there's not enough moisture they're all too blurry and you can't quite see but you can feel Xeros is holding you

those cold yeah go on I just be like mumbling Xeros destroy Strahd destroy Strahd Xeros I'll turn to

uh, quote-unquote Asmodeus, and thank you. Give me my weapon. You will have it. He holds up a hand, and in your, in the hand that you're holding the blade of Nessus,

the dagger is gone. Thank you. You keep forgetting the voice. I keep forgetting it, I know. It's brilliant. I love it. The hand that was holding the Blade of Nessus, the Blade of Nessus is gone, but you feel something beginning to form.

You feel a long, heavy grip as a huge sword begins to emerge, materialized through fire that burns through, as a long two-handed sword with a gap down the middle, a thin gap down the middle, emerges. One side is made of a dark red metal. It has jagged parts of the blade and thick, crudely written infernal

is ensorcelled down one side. The other half of the blade is made from pristine black metal with a very delicate script of infernal written down its side with a razor-thin edge. And the whole thing, you know, you can command to burst into flames

you may add the sword he who grins to your character sheet nice sword of what now? it's called he who grins cool that's dope that's awesome

flame sword uh Ziki as you are being carried out Ziki those jealousies those regrets some of that despair and those dark feelings

they do not go away and they linger in your heart and you now know that there is a part of your body that will never truly live again as you feel that cold element of the undying sit within you

in your chest as you have forged a pact with the undying and all zero has done is do its own um hmm so wait we double

well let me tell you this let me tell you something a little bit out of character tom hazel at no point did as modius say he was the one who was going to bring ziki back he just said oh you son Oh You done got plates on

Oh Oh Listen to the wording Packed bros I mean look I've got seven charisma Yeah no That is You both played that very very well I mean, look, I've got seven charisma. Yeah, no, that is...

You both played that very, very well. But yeah, you guys begin making your way out of the church, like rushing back, and we will rejoin our companions back in the Burgomaster's Mansion, as we do so. Ooh. Hey.

Let's just fight this piece of knowledge. We don't need him. Knowledge? What knowledge are you looking for? Are you trying to make a deal? There doesn't appear to be anything else in this room, by the way, apart from the spellbook, the scrolls, there doesn't... There's no hidden cabinets or chests or anything like that that you can see. We seek knowledge of the ancient. There are. My father collected

many books from the history of Barovia. If you didn't find what he was looking for in the library, it's probably out amongst all the junk somewhere. But do remember, if you wish the aid of my men

all I ask is to kill Bakhtil and restore my son. Good luck. I've looked through the entire library. There's nothing of use there. Nothing about the ancient. Useful historical information perhaps but there nothing about the ancient useful historical information

perhaps but nothing specific to the ancient not the room back there so much stuff yes exactly where else would I be what do you wish to know? The dolls? Ah, you're talking

about Izek's creepy doll collection, I imagine. Izek. Yes. And who is that? Ah, Izek was my father's enforcer, if you call it that. Bodyguard, perhaps.

But he was really a criminal. A cruel killer with no soul who delighted in torturing and harming others. Had some obsession with the dolls. Spent all of his money in forcing the boy maker, Blinksy,

to make them for him. Quite pathetic, if you ask me. But I suppose he's a brute. Strong. Why this specific woman? Why are all the dolls one woman? I don't know. Why would I know?

I stayed away from the... He was a disgusting, bizarre man. Why would I care? I was not interested in his business. Only my own studies. My family were pathetic. I'm glad they're all gone now and Izzik with them.

I remember seeing Fiona carting his body away back towards her mansion. Yes, about that. But... He's not well he's back but perhaps with a different soul in him nah

I always suspected Wachter was more studious than she let on no doubt some sort of necromancer well played you get a sense of like there's a sense of

yeah like admiration almost when you tell him that he's kind of impressed that she did that necromancy, though. Could I quickly make an arcana check or something to see if I could figure out the circle?

Yeah, you can make an arcana check. Is that something a spellcaster could do? Yeah, just make an arcana check. Jesper and Rose, what are you guys doing whilst shadow studies the circle i'm just gonna try and ignore this guy and just continue to

search through this room for any knowledge yeah like a book yeah i was gonna do the same i wanted to start looking for a book yeah see if we can find well so uh shadow for your information i mean at best some sort of looking for a book to see if we can find anything. Well, so, Shadow, for your information, I mean, at best

some sort of teleportation magic, but the exact nature of which you're not really sure. You can tell that whatever it is, it has been purposely disrupted, and you would need to find or somehow learn the codes that recreate the

circle. You'd have to remake whatever was there in the first place to do so. But yeah, you're not sure if you know how to do that. It looks like several pages out of the spellbook have been taken as well. I'll give you information as well. They seem to have been torn out.

Rose and Jesper, it takes you a long time like this room is so cluttered and full of stuff but after about an hour and a half to two hours of searching you find something it is

buried at the bottom of a chest underneath piles of cloth and fabric and it is a very very old book and I will find

the book to show you if I can most of it is ineligible but there are some which you can read and yes beholding this book this tome in your hands it's like

you can feel the echo of Ava you know that this is what she sent you to find here and I have just shared it with you on roll 20 it's quite long so you might

one of you might want to read it out read it out loud or I could read it out for you if you wish to read it in Strahd's voice uh don't know I'm easy alright Tra you read it

okay if you scroll down you can actually easy. Alright, Trot, you read it. Okay. If you scroll down, you can actually read it. It's quite long. It's a lot of it. It's quite long. Fucking hell. Siri, play this back at ten times speed.

I am the ancient. I am the land. My beginnings are lost in the darkness of the past i was the warrior i was good and just i thundered across the land like the wrath of a just god but the war years and the killing years wore down my soul as the wind wears stone into sand all goodness slipped from my life i found my youth and strength gone and all i had left was death my army settled in the valley of barovia and took power over the people in the name of a just god but with none of a god's grace or justice i made them swear their souls and the souls of their children to me forever bound in service and gratitude all written in blood throughout this jesper is giving some uh

glances at anyone listening like this is pretty fucked up i called for my family long unseated from the their ancient thrones and brought them here to settle in the castle ravenloft they came with a younger brother of mine sergey he was handsome and youthful. I hated him for both. From the families of the valley, one spirit shone above all others, a rare beauty who was called perfection, joy, and treasure. Her name was Tatiana, and I longed for her to be mine. I loved her with all my heart. I loved her for her youth. I loved her for her joy. But she spurned me. Old One was my name to her, Elder and Brother also. Her heart went to Sergei. They were betrothed. The date was set. With words she called me Brother, but when I looked into her

eyes, they reflected another name. Death. It was the death of the aged that she saw in me. She loved her youth and enjoyed it, but I had squandered mine. The death she saw in me turned her from me, and so I came to hate death. My death. My hate is very strong. I would not be called death so soon. I made a pact with death. a pact of blood. On the day of the wedding, I killed Sergei, my brother. My pact was sealed with his blood. I found Tatyana weeping in the garden east of the chapel. She fled from me. She would not let me explain, and a great anger swelled within me. She had to understand the pact I made for her. I pursued her, finally, She had to understand the pact I made for her.

I pursued her. Finally, in despair, she flung herself from the walls of Ravenloft, and I watched everything, as I ever wanted, fall from my grasp forever. It was a thousand feet through the mists. No trace of her was ever found. Not even I know her final fate. Arrows from the castle guards pierced me to my soul, but I did not die, nor did I live. I became undead forever. I have studied much since then. Vampire is my new name. I still lust for

life and youth, and I curse the living that took them from me. Even the sun is against me. It is the sun and its light that I fear the most. Little else can harm me now. Even a stake through my heart does not kill me, though it holds me from movement. But the sword that cursed, that cursed sword that Sergei brought, I must dispose of that awful tool. I fear and hate it as much as the sun.

I have often hunted for Tatyana. I have even felt her within my grasp, but she escapes. She taunts me. She taunts me. What will it take to bend her to love me? I now reside far below Ravenloft. I live among the dead and sleep beneath the very stones of this hollow castle in despair. I shall seal shut the walls of the stairs, that none may disturb me. But something stirs in my mind, a dark whisper that this is not the first time I have told this story. And with that, not only will we end today's session, but you will also all level up. As Jesper, you may now add the Tome of Strahd to your inventory.

Oh, yeah. Holy crap! Yeah! Oh, boy. I mean, this will be the last level up I ever see. Oh, dear. Your soul will live on in the palm of Asmodeus. Why do I put my level? Xeros, don't forget that Your soul will live on in the palm of Asmodeus.

Xeros, don't forget that if you die and fail to complete the tasks, it's not just your soul that goes to Asmodeus. Zeke's soul. That's true. Wait, what was that? Rhiannon? Huh? What'd you say then?

Huh? What? Huh? What? I heard it. Where am I going to put it? She said, where's she going to put it? Multiclass. Put it into Fighter.

That's what you got, right? You got Fighter? Just a normal fighter. Just a normal fighter. Just a... Yeah. Friends, that was a really fun episode. Thank you for playing.

That was a good one. That was really fun. That was a fun bit of... I was holding out a vague hope that Zeke would come back as a tortle. It was a 5% chance. Pray not.

Pray that the dark powers of Barovia have another purpose for Zeki that does not require Torque of Form. So we weren't allowed to listen during the episode. If I was to listen back to this episode, am I allowed to find out?

Oh, it doesn't matter now. Oh yeah, it doesn't matter now. It was basically just the whole she was making a deal. So now you've both got a pact. Yeah, it was so that Xeros wouldn't have known. Yeah, it was so that Xeros wouldn't have known what she was doing.

Yeah, exactly. In short, it was Mark who screwed you over there, Tommy boy. Mark played you. Mark played you, boy. So what you're saying is Mark gave me a sword that is the equivalent of two great swords in one.

It sounds cool. And it's a magic weapon. It's got some cool shit attached to it. He can do some cool stuff with it. And yeah, it's pretty great. And you gave up the Blade of Nessus. Really hope Strahd doesn't come looking for it.

Eww. Haha. Woohoo. Woohoo. hope Strahd doesn't come looking for it. Ew! Woo-woo! Where's my dagger? So, first of all, yeah, that was a really fun episode. I hope you guys enjoyed it. We hope that you at home enjoyed that. That was a really fun one. Let us know

what you think. Second of all, thank you so much. We've currently, the current total that I can see, do you have a more up-to-date total? That is the total right now. That is the current total that i can see trot do you have a more up-to-date total um it's the total right on the screen that is the current total so as of right now uh unless anybody wants to in the next four minutes throw in a bunch of extra monies uh we've currently raised about 1224 dollars uh for black lives matter which will go straight to the black lives matter uh website kind of charity fund donation fund um so i'll go to those guys we're going to be doing the same thing on Sunday but only from the High Rollers

D&D channel High Rollers D&D that's the place to donate yeah because that's the money we control and is ours to do with as we kind of like fully want so Yogscast obviously is a split so we need to get their permission but the High Rollers D&D stuff we can just be like

hey all of this is going to go to this charity and that's what we want to represent makes things like i said at the start find yeah absolutely like i said at the start if you can't donate that's fine you don't have to we ask that you find another way to support those uh out fighting injustice basically uh whether that's signing petitions educating yourself doing what you can spreading the word amplifying black people's voices as well um just just read up on a bunch of stuff there's a lot of resources out there um i tweeted a document that has yeah ally.wiki which is um a great starting point for a lot of those things yeah and it's and it's a big part of it is acknowledging what you can change like i was

just before we came on live i was checking out um my uh a guy that i know critical bard had a bunch of people like christina and and tanya that i know uh along with a load of uh black creators in the in the tabletop role playing sphere and they were just having a round table talking about a bunch of stuff i went in there i learned a lot like a lot of stuff where i was like man i'd never even considered that or like fuck yeah that's something i should do more um and it's just acknowledging those kind of things that you can do and you know i don't want to bang on about it that's just important stuff to talk about right it's important stuff to talk about um so does this episode and to listen any thoughts on leveling up any any thoughts on uh any any potential multi-class sins or like I need to go

I need to sit and read for hours yeah well Shadow you're gonna get third level spells so that's a new shiny thing for you destroy undead oh do I get any

extra attack the big one for you and Rose will be two attacks now I get to hit both sides of the board yes very very cool well thank you very much everybody we're going to get out of here

go and do good stuff for good people bye bye thank you everyone well done thanks everyone goodbye bye bye indeed and well done thank you everyone well done well done yay thanks everyone goodbye Thank you.