Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 1 | The Doomed Expedition

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

Professor Clayton Azran's expedition to Barovia leads the party to the Death House. They're sure to uncover mysteries, but will they survive the dangers of the house?   Gain access to an exclusive campaign, Shroud Over Saltmarsh, over on Patreon: https://legendsofavantris.com/patreon The Crooked Moon, a folk horror supplement for 5e, is available for preorder! Get the Crooked Moon at: https://thecrookedmoon.com/ Watch more D&D adventures in the world of Avantris live on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/legendsofavantris Check out our merch store: https://shop.legendsofavantris.com  Join our community on Discord: https://legendsofavantris.com/discord Watch our many campaigns on YouTube: https://legendsofavantris.com/youtube  All other links: https://linktr.ee/legendsofavantris   Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/xwekuvL6XA4?si=UMK2jlsmBZ3HPAzX

Good evening and welcome to Barobia. You are now listening to Curse of Stradanya, a Legends of Adventress podcast. This is our unique take on the legendary Dungeons and Dragons module, Curse of Strud. The first of many new twists on this classic tale is, well, me, Countess Stradana Van Zorovic. you are about to embark upon a journey of horror and heartbreak bear witness as a doomed expedition of five lost souls travel through the mist it is there that they will learn the true nature of evil and what it means to be cursed

and while you should be wary of the terrors of these dark land you should also be warned of our production's humble beginning complete with the technical difficulties that come with such things. But do not fear. The audio quality does get much better. I promise you will be glad that you pressed on with the adventure. There is one final point to address before we begin the show. This campaign was originally played in front of a live audience on Twitch,

and has since been adapted to podcast. I do hope you will enjoy the ride, no matter your preferred method of consumption. And so, without further ado, let's get on with the prologue of the story. My story. I present the doomed expedition. Rain falls on the city of Brieg just before dawn.

While most of the inhabitants of the tightly packed row houses that line gray, cobbled streets sleep peacefully in their beds, a lone young woman and a black dress steps out into the gloom. Water droplets strike the delicate cloth of her lace umbrella as a racing heart matches their rapid beat. She gently closes the heavy oaken door of her childhood home, having left behind a letter for a sleeping father, informing him that she was leaving, but disclosing nothing more. As the girl takes her first few steps into the cool, crisp air of early morning, she nearly jumps out of her skin when the booming pole of a nearby clock tower shatters the quiet,

chiming five times. She quickly catches her breath and regains her composure, brushing a stray strand of black hair from her face, and tucking it behind an ear that is too pointed to be human, yet too short to be fully elven. She turns to resentfully scowl at the looming clock face that startled her, while also confirming that it is indeed five o'clock. This would be the last time that Miss Victoria Isaac's ever looked back before pressing on with her journey and disappearing into the fog.

She hurries through narrow, winding streets as if she's running out of time, never shaking the prickling feeling of prying eyes on the back of her neck, which surely must be watching her from every darkened window she passes. And yet, the people of Brieg pay her no mind, and the only greeting she receives on her morning walk is the mournful cry of seagulls as she descends the walkways that lead to the harbor. Finally, the rain lets up, and a few glinting rays of the rising sun break through the clouds and cast their rosy light on Victoria's destination, a docked sailing ship preparing to disembark

and bustling with far more life than the rest of the city at this early hour. She confidently strides up the gangplank past preoccupied sailors to the ship's deck, and she can't help but notice the tall, pristine top hat that confirms that she's found what she's been looking for, whom she's been looking for. Professor Aspen? It is he? Why, you know, the stories just, they've got you spot on. Tell me, dear, and I'll look up.

What stories precede me? Well, I try to keep my nose out of the gossip, but... Oh, I don't do you fine. Your family is quite famous in town. You know, we have a long history, and I, you know, I hate to live in the shadow of my father, so my... You're a hat like that. It's quite a total show. Yeah, no, and I promise I'm not compensating for anything with a hat like this, but... You embarrass me, sir.

Yeah, well, I mean nothing by it. I got your letter. I wondered about that. Apologies for not responding, but I had a feeling you might find me either way. I hope you don't find it rude that I've just shown up like this. No, no, of course. I had a feeling that you would show up, especially this morning when I was drinking my tea. I looked at the leaves, and I got a sense that you may find me. If you don't mind, and I want to slowly approach and kind of like grab you under the face

and turn your head? Yes. I thought so. And I want to, like, for your point of the point of ear, I'll brush him away. I wanted to, like, just kind of tap the point of her ear. Yes. I'll let go.

So, what is it you're looking for? Well, I've heard a bit about the trip you're going to make. And I... I have some interest in the place that you're heading to. Well, can you write? Can you read? Looking at you, I presume you can. That's a wise presentation. Well, here, here.

And I'll, like, rummings through my things, and I'll find, like... I do have some coin. I don't expect you to take me on. Well, for free. I didn't say. I think you'll learn your key. Perhaps you can act as my assistant on this dick. Does that sound satisfactory? What exactly do you need assistance with?

Oh, anything. I mean, brewing tea, taking notes. You can draft letters for me. You can, if you'd like, you could help me read books, and perhaps I'll give you a few keywords to skim for and just you can highlight. I have this magical yellow pen. It highlights words.

That's strange. And instantly compiles them, this magical scroll that I had. Can I make a magic light of my Harry Potter? Go for it. I'll open my case and I'm going to, it's just like this leather case, kind of like a tanish brown.

I opened it up and I start to dig through it. It's a bit of a family heir, it is. And I started, I'm like, reaching down, like, into it. And it's as if, like, you would pass through it. through the table, but my arm's going down into it. I'm going to pull out like some parchment, a couple notebooks, some quills and pens and ink, and I'll hand it to you. Here you go. You can stop today.

We're leaving in about and I'll take out a pocket watch and I'll flip it open. Captain, when are we leaving? And it is as you say this that you see a human gentleman in the regalia of a ship's captain as he begins to descend the stairs from the, is it the stern of the ship or the bow of the ship that's the front? That was the son. For the bow of the ship, thank you.

I'm not a sailor. You are now. Thank you. He makes his way towards you. Professor, sir. Yes. We are about to embark on our trip. The city awakens behind us.

We should not dally much further. As you see. Does it? No. they will have questions. We should leave, for too many can be asked. Oh, well, I don't want any trouble at all. Let's, let's weigh anchor.

Is that what they say? That's what I said. Do what you will. When you are ready, we will set sail. Indeed, indeed, at once. Ma'am, and you see as he bows towards you. I think, done in his head. So we leave Nat presently.

I'll slap my pocket wash shut, and I'll put it in. in my cook pocket. As you suggested, we have made up a room for the lady. Oh, good, good. And hopefully it is set up as you prefer. Feel free to redecorate, if you'd like. There's anything you need.

Feel free to let me know. Thomas, it's great to meet you. He knocks his head at you as he begins to ascend the stairs towards the bow. He calls out to the other ship hands about the vessel, and you begin

to see as the sails rays, the wind immediately hits them as they, um, as you see them pull taut against their posts and you feel alert to the ship. You are familiar with this, having traveled on this vessel before in your expeditions. Victoria, this is unlike anything that you felt before, but you're able to, to keep your ground, though you do feel a little pang in your stomach, a bit of seasickness. You were worried about this and you do have a tincture at your side. you know that the huffing of it will help to calm your stomach should the sea do you know kindness during this journey. As it takes 15, maybe 20 minutes for the ship to begin to prepare, you see the city that you had just left from.

The quiet of the streets is now beginning to erupt the bustle of noise as people go to work as children or let off to their lessons. and you know that you made it just in time to the ship as you begin to set sail. I'll shout out. Mr. Thomas, as we're starting to pull out. Easy as she goes, Captain. We have a newbie, as they say, aboard. I'm not quite sure of the term, sir,

but with a lady on board, we will definitely make sure to sail the fairest of sea. Wow. I'm so good. Thank you. Thank you. I'm in no rush, and the university has provided plenty of gold, so you have time.

You see as he sticks his finger in his mouth and he holds the finger up. I'm predicting fair winds. Yona awaits us, sir. It does, indeed. It does. It should take but a lord of the world? A couple weeks. Should take but a few weeks.

Before we see the fair shores. Ms. Isaac, did you hear that? I did. It'll be a while, so... I take my beads and just kind of press them to my mouth. You feel the arms of illness. mater flow over you as you harness the power of your God and knowing that you have sinned this day, that lies were told and deceit was left in your wake, but you believe that you have the guidance of

your God and you have a sense of calm wash over you as the sea breeze helps to wash away the flushes come to your cheeks. Well, Miss Isaacs or Victoria, can I call you Victoria? A few months. Which do you prefer? Well, we've only just met. Oh, right, Miss Isaac, that's fine. It's entirely proper to be on first name.

Well, if you're my assistant, I suppose we'll have to eventually get there. But that's true. Feel free to go check out your quarters. One of the crewmen can show you down there. And one more thing. If I can assist in any way to help you find what you're looking for, please don't hesitate to ask. You are a puzzling type and nothing quite satisfied like a puzzle solved.

And I'll look down at my journal and I'll drink my tea. I'll sit back down in my chair and I'll continue reading as I enjoy the morning air as we set sail. The sales drop and billow with favorable. winds, and soon your ship leaves the continent of Bargist in its wake. The good weather holds and you arrive on the distant shores of Yona, a full day ahead of schedule, surely a positive omen for this fledgling expedition. A long, bumpy stagecoach ride takes you many miles inland, and you can't help but notice as the air gets drier with each passing hour. You head west, traveling across rolling planes,

and sprawling deserts to the edge of civilization, and it becomes clear that you're very far from home. At long last, you roll into a dusty frontier town beneath the sweltering sun of high noon and a hanging wooden sign that reads, Rattlesnake. Your destination is a grimy saloon just off the main thoroughfare, and soon you're both through its swinging doors and into a dimly lit establishment that's welcomed shelter from the afternoon heat.

Ignoring the drunken leers of the local townsfolk, your attention is brought to the stranger sitting at the end of the bar, a murky glass of spirits in his rust-colored hand. Although his person is shrouded by a wide-brimmed hat and a woven poncho, it's impossible to miss that he's just as much devil as he is man, and he's sure as the nine hells the muscle you've come to meet. You immediately look down and see two weapons of strange nature, unlike anything that you've really seen before on either side of his hip. And as your eyes meet these weapons, you notice as his hand finds purchase on the one to the right, almost as of sensing where your eyes are moving along his body.

He doesn't make any motion, but you believe that this is the man we're looking for. Miss Isaacs, be very careful. I'm not sure this man was who I thought he was. I'll find the seat next to this man, and I'll just sit down. How do you do? Right, how do you do? I'm quite all right. May I have a brandy, please?

Yeah, we'll eat your turn. I'll be there in a fucking second. No, no rush, no rush, please. So, good man. Do you happen to know a man named Mr. Shepherd in this town? Well, I do. I'm him. Oh, you're Mr. Shepherd. How lucky.

The name is Shepherd. Professor Clayton Azran. It's a pleasure to meet you. Ah, you're the professor, then. I've been waiting for you. Well, thank you for meeting me. And this is Miss Victoria Isaacs. She's my assistant. Well, Miss. I didn't realize we'd be traveling with any other companions.

It's a pleasure to meet you. It's lovely to make your acquaintance. Shepard. So you're the professor then. I am the professor, and again, thank you for meeting me here. Your reputation precedes you. I've read about how you defeated that outlaw gang of Minotaur almost single-handedly. Well, I don't want to brag, but I, listen, it was a far journey, but I'm happy to be here.

A man has to eat, and I'm happy to take a job for what you were offering. Of course, of course. The price of green, I have it right here, and I'll take out a pre-filled sack of coin, and I'll put it on the bar. I'll kind of glance around to see if anyone else is, like, watching this transaction. I'll put a seat. Oh. First dice one. First dial.

Nice dial. B&J. We are playing. This is an incited improv. It's 17. Oh. Perfect. You look around and you see that if he,

Clayton is not as discreet as you feel he should be as he sets this bag of gold onto the bar top. And most of the patrons themselves are, some of them in fist fights over a game of poker, the threat of, cheating and and loaded dice and loaded hands but the barkeep does seem to notice

as Clayton drops it down onto the table you said you wanted a drink what's what fuck do you want you want poison or you want an extra poison? Brandy if you have it. Ten gold. Of course. And I'll put ten gold down. Thank you kindly.

What would the lady like? Oh, I'll put my hand on the gold. Paddy, you may? Ma'am. You'd better make that three brandies? Oh, you're a brandy man? That'll be 30 gold then. If it's liquor, I'll drink it.

I think it won't. Why, why do you think it won't? I think that you've just seen some, something that perhaps you may shouldn't have. Roll a persuasion check. Oh, I'm picking up what you're putting down. That's not very good. 12?

Same. Kind of looks at you for a second, looks back between all of you, and you see that as he looks at Shepard, there's a little bit of hesitance to him. But he looks back at you and he's like, I mean no-fant's, man. You got some pretty eyes.

Thank you. I'll do you three for one, but the next ones are going to be a full price. Ten gold is not full price. Ten gold apiece. Some 30. gold next time, right? 20 gold. 15 gold.

Five gold, fine or awful. I'm kidding. You know, honestly, I think in this point I don't appreciate the way that you are trying to weasel me out of it. It's going to be two gold for each to get. Give me, I know. So just name a number on a pet.

I'm confused. Two gold for each year, so that's going to be five gold pool. Five gold. Well, good man, here you are. And I'll pass some five gold. You try and swindle one over on me again. And he takes the five goal and puts it in his pouch. You can see that he's incredibly flustered.

He's constantly his eyes darting back and forth between Shepherd and Victoria. He seems to be overwhelmed by your beauty and overwhelmed by the maybe the reputation that proceeds to. Take a couple copper and just slide it across the bar is like a sign of good face. Pretty and smart. Professor. And Ms. Isaacs, you see. said? Yes. Now, I appreciate you buying me a drink, but I assume that we need to get on the move here pretty quickly. We do, and a stage coach, can I just say that stage coach is meeting us? Yeah.

Stage coach should be picking us up within the hour, of course, but I wanted to, again, thank you for agreeing to protect us all the way in the striga, I know it's a very dangerous place. I want to make this very clear up front. I mentioned before that a man has to eat, he's got to live. That's right. This is not about the money, all right? I want to make sure that you understand that there is a very, I mean it when I say I'm going to protect you, and especially the young woman. I didn't realize that maybe our group might be getting bigger than we initially had discussed or what I may have presumed, but your safety is my number one priority. Well, that is... I hope not to be a burden. And please, this is the confessor.

strip, so he should be your priority. I don't think that there's going to be any trouble now. You'll protect both of us. Isn't that right? Of course. Professor, I might suggest a bit of discretion moving forward. I don't know what you mean. In cases of

displayed wealth. Oh, I'm sure what the young lives chaps? What the young... What the young... What they say it was a little-ass. No, now what the young lady's trying to say is you don't want to get moked, all right?

You see is he kind of the bartender comes over. His wiery, whiskery mustache is, you can tell that he, in an attempt to shape it, he snipped off a little too much on one side, it's a little bit lopsided. He leans down and looks at me, I don't know what you mean by on a chivalize, but I know how to read. Do I get the sense that there's a crossboat aimed at us from under that? Not as of yet. Okay. Well, of course, I shall be more discreet.

I never did tell me I didn't know how to read and walk away from this bar is all I'm saying I certainly believe it good good brandy this is she'll like another ten go what's what's the year on this one well what years are I've got to go wax mama's but I'll be keeping an ear out sorry now I'm gonna know the name of the fucking town I don't know just her just her just to reiterate, but as I'm sure that you are well aware, Shriga, from what I've heard, I've never been myself, is a dangerous land. Now, I've seen things. I've seen real evil in the hearts of men. I'm prepared for the worst. I think that this might be a safe place to discuss because I do have several questions for you, Professor. Well, please ask away, and I have several of my own

questions for you. So you go first. You'll find he's full of questions. I am, of course. You're very puzzling. I'll do my best to answer them. But my first question for you is do you honestly believe that this place exists? Ah, the contents is my letter. Of course you read them.

I'm glad you can read. Yes. What are you saying about me reading? No, I... All right, motherfucker. You're not getting any more... If you're going to keep deeming me in my reliance and say an under... things about what?

Can I pay five gold to stop talking? Well, let me think about that first. Say, yes, yes, you can. He's going to take the five gold from you, and he's going to slowly pour you about half a drink. I will be right over here if you need anything. May I must discuss? And he nods his hat at you again.

I'm going to kind of give him a, like not a snarl. I'm a scowl at him, though, having heard what he said. I'm going to be over here. You see, as he's, you know, off to the side waxing his Mustang. Please continue. Mr. Shepherd, can I, do you have a first name, Mr. Shepherd? It's Shepherd. So is that your first name or your last minute?

Did you mind me asking? I don't mind. I'm sure you've noticed that I'm a teetling. We have what they call virtue names. My virtue name was bestowed upon me by my guardian, the good Dr. Cogburn. And I wear it with pride. So, Shepard, please. Shepard, of course.

You may call me Shep if you prefer. Some do. I think Shepard for now is fine, but true gentleman always calls their acquaintances by the names that they prefer. So I just want to make sure that I don't miss it. I don't get it wrong, as you go. Of course. Yes, to your previous question, I do. I do believe that Barovia exists, and it's been my life's work to find it and prove that it exists.

You know, the other academics, they can laugh at me all they want, and they can say, that it's just a fairy tale that's the legend, but I've uncovered enough artifacts, and I've read enough papers, and I've been all over the world looking for proof, and I believe that this dig will provide the clues we need to actually locate it. Well, I hope that ultimately you find what you're looking for.

I think that I'm very well equipped for whatever we may come up across, but I'm not really expecting too much trouble now. I mean, this is an archaeological type of dig, correct? No, that's right. I mean, you're there just to basically stand guard, and if a wild beast or road agents or thieves happen upon us, you dispatch of them, hopefully quickly and without fuss, and we just move on our way.

And once we set up the excavation, you just stand watch. Now, I don't believe, at least, I prepared quite a bit for this expedition, and I didn't want to assume that you knew your way around Strigger, so once we arrive in that land, I did arrange a guide that knows the land very well and hopefully lead us straight to the archaeological site. I wouldn't expect it any other way.

Of course, like I mentioned, I've never been to Strigger, but as long as I'm watching over you, I can promise you you'll be safe. Well, that gives me great solace. And we? I did have a question, though. Please, by all means. If you don't, if you don't mind, I, uh, and I want to kind of feel the horn.

Oh, if he's real, he'll touch to your head. I would appreciate it if you didn't touch them. Well, oh, of course. You'll find he does this. Take off my handkerchief and I'll try to, like, rub it off. No, no, it's all right. It's all right. Put it back.

You know, I read in the article when I learned of, of your existence that they called you the devil of the plains, but I didn't think it wouldn't be so literal. You are, people can be judged, man. And I don't, I don't particularly care for or don't care for that nickname, but I have heard. Well, um, don't worry with us. We won't judge you at all. Your, your abilities and capabilities are, uh, are all that we're paying you for. So, however you look and however you are, we're welcome for your company. Well, I appreciate a professor, and of course, Miss Isaacs. People can be cruel, which you won't find out from us.

And it is with that that you... Oh, that's all stagecoach. You talk for a bit more. You have a few more drinks. It seems that the look that Shepard gave the barkeep kept him on his toes enough that he began to pour and refill your glasses without the request for gold. And there was a shiver of relief.

that you saw, that you see rush over him as you eventually pick yourself up and make your way out to the dusty road in front of the saloon. The nang of the horses can be heard before you're even able to step out into the sunlight, a incredibly large black stage coach to black stallions at the helm of it. And oddly enough, your, your captain Thomas sitting at the very top, the reins in hand. He, with the use of the other sailors, was able to stow away all of your possessions and belongings as he helps you into the stagecoach,

and you begin to make your way across the dusty lands of Yonge. With the additional firepower now acquired for the expedition, the three of you return to the coast and begin the final sea voyage of your journey. It is not long until you were waving, goodbye to the captain and crew that safely delivered you to the dower landscapes of Striga, which remind you of macabre paintings by tortured artists. The unmoving plumes of overcast cloud cover drape over the rugged terrain like a shroud

as you delve into an ancient forest of trees, too colossal to be wholly natural. Beneath a canopy so dense that it creates a realm of eternal darkness, you see the distant lights of grand treetop cities, the denizens of which fly through the night on silent wings. While you do not immediately draw the gaze of the owlfolk who rule this dark wood, you know that to do so means certain death, and that while you scurry across the forest floor, you are nothing but prey. However, even this incredible danger has been accounted for,

And after several terrified, sleepless nights, you arrive at a small thicket, so overgrown and well hidden, that it must surely provide sanctuary from even the most relentless of hunters. It is here that you've heard whispers of a guide who knows this forest, far better than even the predators that lurk above,

a single light in the darkness that may be your only hope of arriving at your final destination, undetected and unscathed. So you would have made your way through the enormous forest, trees taller than anything you would have encountered in Bargast. And you can see as you remember that constant recommendation,

warming command, stay in the thicket, stay out of sight. You see the massive tree top cities, walkways connecting them built around the trees. The lights flickering from above, the flapping of wings constantly above you. However, your focus is not up there. It is down to the ground. You make your way through the forest.

And eventually you get to the meeting point. A large ancient stone symbol carved into it. It looks like a reptilian eye bathing flame, worn away. This is the place. Are you sure, Professor? What do you, I mean, do you think? Here's this crude etching that he sent back. Does that look?

Hi. What do you think, Victoria? Oh, listen. It's fairly spot on. If you trust this man, Professor, I trust you, but please just keep your wits about you. Now, I should probably inform you all that this man is not really a man per se, but more of a lizard man. As it were. Is that something that needs to presume it or explain them?

Well, look, so I don't know what kind of creatures you've seen out of about, the populous races of Yonah, but there are lizard folk or lizard men that inhabit many parts of the world, and I've met and I've traded, and I've... Professor, I don't mean to be rambunctious, and let me stop you there. Oh, of course. I understand. man. Let me just say, being as I am, there isn't much that really surprises me anymore. Well, the thing that I wanted to mention is he is a lizard man, but he is a member of a very, what would I know?

What I know that you're like, would you like have sent me a garrette pamphlet? You would say, great a good word. You would know that I have a religious order, a devout religious that works in the shadows, and there is a political major to it that has afforded me the knowledge of moving around undetected by the sentries in the tree tops above. And you know that, yeah, I would say that you know it's a religious order. I don't know. You probably don't know the details. So I should mention that this fellow is quite a bit religious, and he's, I don't know what the plural of a lizard would be, but his grouping of peoples, they might be what you would call

a cult. And they worship a dragon god, which is very strange. Usually you think of Cobolds as being kind of the servants and worshippers as dragons, but this particular cult seems to be lizards. And they don't take very kindly to, and I look up, who's treating. top cities, those soaring wings, they're apparently very deadly, and you've done a great job leading us through the thickets and staying unseen, but eventually we're going to get deep into their territory. And my understanding of the rulers of Urios is that they hate outsiders and they hate ground dwellers, and they wouldn't hesitate to overwhelm us with forces, with armies, and kill us instantly. So our goal is to avoid that by paying this man that will meet us

right here at the stone. Last thing I'll say, you mentioned cult. Are you sure we can trust this individual? Well, I don't... I don't judge the man. I don't mean to imply that the cult is bad. I just mean he couldn't go two sentences without mentioning his God and his hatred for the Ereos government. I've had some unfortunate

run-ins with particular religious individuals and I don't blame the individuals. I blame the evil word that they tend to follow. As long as you trust this man, then I'll trust him as well because again, the individual is okay by me

if he's all right by you. Well, in my experience, I believe that he, I'm not paying him to tell us about his God or to have him push his religion on us. So if he starts to do that, just politely nods. The true gentleman listens and nods. But I wouldn't feel pressure to humor him. We won't be paying this man to praise the word of Garrick's. He'll simply be a guide through these lands. All right, Professor.

Mine is certainly not to judge others. Yes, and he's a religion. It's his own choice. You may have heard her muttering prayers under her breath in the stagecoach. Miss Isaacs, I'm with you. I'm not judging. I don't judge. Trust me, I've been on the wrong end of judgment more often than now.

I just want to, and again, I trust you, and I trust the professor explicitly after the things that we've been through over the last week or so, a couple weeks. Yes. I just, as we've mentioned, this is a dangerous land, to just keep your, be aware. Yes, I must say, and I forgot to mention at the time,

but I was very impressed when you single-handedly defeated that pack of die wolves that attacked our stagecoach. Mealy took both stallions. I never seen a pack of dieurals before, but I trust the good doctor to give me what I need to protect you

and protect myself. So did the good doctor, he gave you those weapons of yours. I've never seen anything like it. There are tools that he made, invented himself. He's a very brilliant man. He taught me everything I know how to ride, how to shoot. And I can only hope that I do his name good

by being out here and ultimately returning home with something that I might be able to repay him with. Well, he seems like a very skilled tinkerer and artificer, presumably, given the magic nature of those weapons. Correct, Professor. It's at this point where you see very, not too far off into the forest. you see a glowing light flickering as it gets brighter and brighter, larger and larger, as it gets closer and closer. Get down and stay, stay low. We don't know what we're dealing with here.

And as it approaches, it merges from the thicket, you see that it's a light illuminated from a lantern that is held. by a silhouette, a hooded figure. And you see that this lantern is seems to be a fastened from bone.

It's skull-shaped, almost trachonic. As you see, the hand gripping it is green and scaled. And as the creature approaches, the figure approaches, the hood is pulled off by another scale hand. You see a lizard folk, bright yellow eyes with vertical red slits, a brighter green frill going down the head around, down into the cloak,

a long tail extending. You see that wearing very simple, earthy, earthy, tinted robes, a simple sash tying it together. In the hilt, a very strange-looking, jagged natural dagger. It's hard to see in this light. However, the lantern raises up and illuminates all of you. And it also illuminates the face of this lizard folk. As the yellow eyes meet you, Professor Asren, and you see a flash of white sharp teeth, reveal a smile.

You must be the professor. Are you Sarnax of the Aedlewood? Yes, I am Sarnax of the Adlewood. Welcome to my forest. This is your forest. This is the forest of my order, the forest that ultimately belongs. to Garrick's the fire lord. My order serves

the great cleanser of worlds. And you have come seeking ruins, seeking antiquity, seeking the old. Yes, yes, of course. And here, you didn't ask for much, but here you are.

What I seek for myself is not important. When our job is complete, the final payments will belong to my order to provide the weapons and supplies that they need to defeat the tyranny on wing above us. Well, Professor, I don't want to be presumptuous here, but are you sure about this? It's not too late to change your mind. Oh, he seems like a well-informed chap, I believe, uh, Zonax. So you, Being this is your forest, do you know your way around here? Is that right? I do. But the question is, are you worthy to travel this forest, to travel these woods, to serve Garrix as I do?

You seek the old. In nature, things rot, they decay. It is through the glory of fiery destruction. that allows for rebirth and renewal. Is your heart old and decayed, professor? I certainly hope not. Good man. It is not her intention to change our deities that we pay homage to. And I don't believe we discuss that in our correspondence. But hopefully along the way, as you guide us through these woods, You do what you need to do to pay worship to your own God.

I intend to chew, Professor, and I'll hobble over towards Shepherd, and I'll raise the lantern up. You can see that this is a lantern fashioned in some variety. I'm not 100% on this, but out of the skull, a red dragon wormling or a gold dragon oneling. and it blazes with this strange light that seems very unnatural, and it illuminates Shepard's face, and I look over your person. I see your skin, your horns, your tail, you are forged from fire. I suppose that's correct.

Sarnax, was it? Sarnax of the Eaglewood. Name Shepard. I put my hand out. I'll reach out with my hand and I'll shake you. And you mean safe passage to these woods, correct? I do. Safe passage for you means safe passage for me,

which means the eventual culmination of my plans and the eventual destruction of the great dynasties above us. I hope you don't mind me being forward. I'm going to be honest with you as I was as honest with the Professor and Miss Isaacs here. My number one priority is the safety of all of us, including you. So if there's anything that you need to tell me in order to properly protect us, I would appreciate that up from. What you can know, what all of you can know, is to embrace the fire.

Embrace the fire lord. That which burns us but does not kill us makes us grow stronger. And if it does, then we surrender to the swill of the earth and become useful to those that are strong enough. Sonax, can we trust you? Of course you can trust me. Can I insight check Sarnex? Of course. Fifteen.

You try and discern. Just that you're being honest and that you're not like, you don't have any, you know. I'm 100% honest on everything that I figured. I figure. I'm just, I'm RPA and I'm believing. I believe it everything that I say. I do. Now, now, Shepard, I,

I've done a bit of research on his order, and this one in particular. I believe he's trustworthy. I do. And I'll sort of, like, lean back and, like, let's keep your eye on him. Absolutely, Professor, as you wish. Professor, Shepard,

I turn to the woman. and I hobble over and I illuminate your face with my lantern as I look in this. Your skin, no, not forged in fire, but I see a fire in your soul. See? Well, I'm grateful for your guidance. You will receive my guidance. Is your soul strong enough to your soul. resist the inferno that we may encounter.

It has resisted thus far. You are a pious woman. I am. A heretic. By some terms, I suppose. By my turns, yes. But I see a fire within you. Perhaps you will turn your efforts towards a god that is worthy.

of your power. I'm sure you mean no offense. I serve my god, my god alone. Yes, he's just a curious sort. I believe he doesn't mean anything ill. Do you, Sonax of the evil. May I call you Sonax? You may.

People of the world hate what is not them. They fear what they do not know. I do not hate and I do not fear. Hate and fear are power. powerful tools. Perhaps we will all use them in time. What may I call you? My name is Victoria Isis. You make ho-ha, Miss Isaacs. Thank you, Professor. Lower my lantern, and I nod. And all, my eyes will kind of linger on the, not on her body.

They kind of linger. Linger on the prayer beats And your eyes get really big And you'll On my left I'll turn around my There on my forearm That is a long on my forearm

That is to me fastened out of a strange black wood. And there seems to be holes that almost look eerily like a wailing face. And I, without a word, I turn,

and I raise my lantern, and with my lot of control, without doing anything, it, which is from its surrounding glow to a conal light like a hooded lantern. Or bullseye lantern. Olds eye lantern.

And illuminates the path ahead of us. You seek the old professor. You seek the ruins. You should consider yourself lucky. I did not burn it all away and plant my edelwood seeds. Let us go. Of course, please do lead the way. With the ranks of your expedition, having grown to four,

you drive through the night, guided by the flickering glow of an ever-burning lantern. The path east through the primordial woodland is treacherous, but after narrowly escaping, grasping talons on numerous occasions, you come to the forest edge and emerge alive. However, the towering spires and jane. jagged ridges that greet you are no more hospitable. The stench of death hangs in the air, seemingly following you no matter how far you travel up winding mountain passes and down plummeting ravines.

The terrain is so maze-like that getting lost and retracing steps becomes a regular occurrence over the following week, and the exhaustion from the incessant hiking is so great that you begin to feel that this was all for naught. and then you finally find it. Hidden away in the dark depths of a rocky chasm that would be impossible to stumble upon by any souls less determined than you, is a church where a church should not be. Hewn from a near black stone and adorned with carvings of ravens, the structure before you seems less like a place of worship and more like a tomb.

And yet, scattered by the world. before the crumbling steps and cracked door of the ancient building are the fragments of a statue that might have once formed the shape of a god or goddess, now lost to time. All the same, these mysterious, impossible ruins stand before you, just as hypothesized. Every step of the expedition has been leading here. This podcast is brought to you by our Patreon. Become a patron today at patreon.com slash legends of Aventress and gain access to tons of exclusive perks, including a monthly movie night

and a weekly Patreon exclusive campaign set on the high seas, shroud over salt marsh. You can also go to the crooked moon.com to pick up your own copy of our first published supplement, The Crooked Moon, a folk horror tome for Dungeons and Dragons fifth edition. And don't forget to snag all of the extra goodies, like dice, miniatures, plushies, a tarot deck, and more. Thank you.

It is deep at night at this point, and you know that it would be a fool's errand to attempt to begin your excavation so late in the evenings. You all begin to set up camp, and you know that tomorrow will begin day one of your dick. So we're there. Yes. And at that point, while this is happening, I'll let you guys R-Ped in a minute, But essentially you guys will dig for three days while this is happening. Oh, yeah, let's do it meanwhile.

I love him meanwhile. Meanwhile, it has been years since a lonely woman began her trek across the lands of the Vandras and the hope for answers. She read in books and papers any information she could find on the one that she seeks. And one name constantly came to mind, Azran. as right. She made her way to Bargis and found the university in which the man taught, but was unfortunately met with the sad news that he had left a mere week prior on an excavation's to Stricka. She began her journey again, alone, as always, but with strong results that she was on the right path.

She made her way into Strigger, but the trail was cold by the time she reached its frosty shores, and she began to travel from town to town looking for any information that she could find. It was on one lonely night that she came across what appeared to be a carriage. Reku's laughter and storytelling erupting from the thicket of the thicket of your own. the trees as she listened in to these strange voices that she, an accent that she had never heard before, as you begin to move closer. Clutched in one hand is the weapon that you hold so close to your heart. And clutched in the other is the crumbled worn pages, or the crumbled worn paper that is the reason for this entire journey.

As you listen closely, as you're about to turn and leave, you hear a word that strikes you. Barovia, and you stop, and you listen a little further as you hear some more laughter, the sound of ice as it tumbles into a glass, and the chiding of friends.

You look in on this encampment, and there is an incredibly well-made carriage. The colors are bright, vibrant oranges, reds, and blues. The people that are scattered around there are maybe six of them that you can see from this vantage point as they're sitting around this roaring fire, dressed from head to toe and jingling coins and extravagant colors and silks and flowing shirts

and embroidered jackets. as you listen in on them. What would you like to do? Kana. So a standard-sized woman in a carefully plated armor

that's kind of overlapping over each one covering her chest and large paddings that are unusually shaped tied off with silks to her chest plate. emerges from the trees to join them. She has long black hair, black bangs, and a pale complexion. On her back, she has her quiver and her short bow, her hunku. And in her arm on her right hand, she has clutched her Naginata, which is her pole-arm glave.

Not attempting to be stealthy, she approaches. the encampment and tries to make eye contact with those gathered around the campfire to see if they're hostile. You step in to the surrounding and immediately they are alerted to your presence. As you see, they all turn to look at you. Well, welcome, little one. What do you come for? I bow to each of them in sort of a half bow. Good evening. I heard you mentioned Varovia. I'm not sure what you're hearing from the forest.

But the name, I know it. Slovena, it's nice to meet you talking. So pretty. Take you see. Sit with us, Taylor's tells. Thank you. I would be eager to hear. I have traveled far from the lands of Inari.

You must be tired. Eat, drink with us. spend the night. I appreciate your hospitality. I am very tired, but I am most eager to hear about your tales of Borovia. You tell us a story and we will tell you one, yes? If that is the exchange, what kind of story would you like to hear? Something that will make me smile or laugh or cry.

You see as she looks at you and there's almost a look about her, almost a knowing look. Well, I do have quite a tale that would make you cry. I've wept many nights over it. So I will tell you that. Maybe you can provide me with more information on my mission. Well, I will not make any promises, but we will see. You see as all of them begin to lean in and look at you, a plate of food has been pushed onto your lap.

A wooden goblet has been pushed into one of your hands. It seems to be brimming with this. dark red wine, the pungent smell of it is actually delicious to you, but you make no move to eat or drink as you begin to tell your nail. I kneel on the ground and sit back on my feet and I have my sword laying in my lap. Holding the beverage in my hand, I sit it down and pick up the food instead, and I stare into the bowl longingly with sadness in my eyes. I am looking and I have been looking and I'm still looking and I'm still looking for my master, Jentecchi. He has been missing from my village for many moons now. I have been on this journey for feels like years.

He had gone missing with no word as to where he was going. My village began spreading rumors that I was the one that slayed him. Oh, but you weren't very little one. No. It wasn't you, I can tell.

You have innocence all over your face. He has been my master's since I, as long as I can remember, he has trained me in the martial arts, almost like another parent. Oh, no, be lost, but a beloved one. It can be so hard.

It is very difficult. His name, you say. Master Gintakey. You see as she kind of looks from side to side around the other humans around her. He is not lost or missing. He is dead. But I think you know this. When you speak of him, you don't speak of a man who leaves.

In the mission to get him back, you look like you see a man who is probably lost forever, and you're looking for a way to unbind yourself from him? I have felt a separation for very long now that I'm choosing not to accept until I see him dead in my hands. That will be very difficult, little one. You wanted answers. We wanted the story. I did not shed it here. What?

I do feel sadness in my life. heart for you. I didn't quite get to the sad part yet. Oh, the death of your friend was not the sad part. That was sad, but what is sadder is my exile from my village, my separation from my mother, my father, the disgrace upon my family name. You thought you lost one, but the loss of the one loses them all. I am a guardian of that city.

of that city. My duty is to protect it from the local hobgoblin invasion. The raiders, the scouts, die by my blade. And I fear... They are weak without you. They are. Defenseless. And your family suffers because you cannot join them. That is sad. I am hoping that I can find answers about my master and bring proof back to my village and restore the honor of my family's name. I will say that with a fiery spirit like that, you may do exactly what you plan to. I can only hope. Do you know who you seek?

For we do. And you see as they all look around and lock eyes. I pull out the piece of paper round in my master's quarters, the burnt off, singed part with the envelope. Oh, shit. On it. She takes it to rumm you quickly, and you see she rummages around in her in her pack, and she holds something over the fire for a second before she puts a seal directly beneath the half-melted one.

The symbol that you've only been able to see a portion of is now full on the sheet in front of you. De Cantis, she knows of you. Countess who? you will find out more tomorrow there is a man deep in the woods he seeks more than he should and if you are looking for more answers for the body of your master

you may want to find him a professor asren digs at the ruins digs in places we'veistan do not want him to be you should guard him he will need it and he will lead you to what you seek. She waits for you, little one. How does she know my name?

I didn't say she did, but she knows of me. She killed your master child. You think that he died without speaking your name. Head to the east. About a day's travel, maybe too, if you find luckies not on your side. He will come upon the ruins and the professor in his crew. They will help you if you help them. Very well. How do you know all this information?

My homeland is the land of the one you seek. What land is that? Barovia. Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to? I am looking for many answers, and I, want to make sure I'm getting the right best. Well, sometimes you need to follow your heart. Or the wise words of a random woman in the midst of the forest, yes?

I suppose you are a random woman, as I am in the midst of a force. I can make this to feel you were not able to see. So, trust me. Drink, eat. Enjoy the night with us. We will see you so much. We will make you forget the gruesome. and death of your master at the hands of the countess.

For tonight is the last night you will have before it's shoved in your face forever. Not to be all doom and gloom. There are good things in the future. Although I greatly appreciate your hospitality and a good night's rest would be most welcome, I fear that celebration is not appropriate at this time and would be disrespectful to my master

if he is, in fact, God. from this world. But you know that he is? If you insist, well, it is this way then. And you see, as two of the larger men get up in the part some of the foliage out of the camp. You may make your way that way. They maybe do. Look for the professor. He is loud. He's boisterous. He's kind. He will help you find the way. I'll chug down the meal, wipe my face and stack it neatly with the wine inside the other bowl and push it, stand up and straighten my garb, and I will bow to each of them. Thank you for this information. May I have the note back? I don't see why not. It is but a tattered parchment. Keep the seal on there, yes? You may

like you. Your professor may be interested in it. It is my only connection to my master. It is the only hope you have to join his band. Indeed. Well, then, make a case, little one. Thank you. Anytime. We will meet again, I'm sure. I hope so.

Perhaps with a not-so-sad story to exchange. Yes, no. The sad story was yours to tell. Laughter would have been my preference. Perhaps laughter then next time. I do hope so. Good night. When you see a she, curtsies in front of you and they all watch you as you make your way into the underbrush.

And it's just as quickly as the trees fold back behind you, you begin to hear as they start playing their instruments again, the songs that they're singing, the laughter and the stories that they're telling. They seem to pick right back up where they had been before you'd join them. It is that point that we make our way back to the three of you. You will try, we'll say you're traveling for a couple of days. It is now the evening as you're settling down your camp. You've just reached the outskirts of these ruins. It seems to be, it's hard to tell in this level of disarray whether these are the ruins of an old church,

but it is some kind of stone building where the walls themselves have begun to crumble down around it. It appears to be a large rectangular area. You can see this is the first, the cleaner one with a circle in the middle. as you approach it Professor Azran can't help but do a quick look around as he sees that there is a

ruined on dais or altar something towards the back, two alcoes off to the side, a large circular indentation towards the middle, but it looks like some statue or artifact of some kind may have been placed in the center but is no longer there. The walls themselves

are missing stones. You can see the darkening of these stone walls in places where large portraits or pieces of art would have hung where the dust accumulated in the perfect rectangular spots, but the art pieces are no longer there. And it is quiet and it is cold.

And you know that just looking at the structure of this building, that it will be a treacherous dig. Any wrong move could cause the entire structure to crumble down around you. And you know that the actual excavation will have to wait for the morning. But at the very least, you have reached the location you were looking for.

This is magnificent. This is a church. Starnax. Do you know anything about this place? I know it is ancient, peresical, built. What do I think about this place?

Basically just that. You don't really come here. You knew of its location, but you know that it's been here for as long as you could remember. You know that the Bistani in the area like to tell horrible stories about it, about undead and things,

ghosts that haunt this place. And you, having been here a few times, have never been inside of the place, and you have never seen anything of that nature, but it's kind of creepy feel to it. It is a relic of, of ages past of the horrible dark connection to shadow that this land contains.

Well, it's magnificent. It's clearly human make. The overgrowth, the decay disgusts me. It's remarkably well preserved, given all that. I mean, it's mostly standing. We shall start to excavate in the morning, but Victoria, can you take the west side of the building, and I'll take the east and please sketch with me. Now, Professor, I can tell that you're very excited here. Yes, of course. All I ask is that both of you, be aware of what's going on around you,

don't get too involved in anything that might cause your harm. That's what we're paying you for, right? Keep watch. Of course I will, but if you see anything, you holler and I'll come run. Absolutely, no, no. We must make sure to be as careful as we can. Don't get too far. My eyes are always open, but I'll...

I appreciate a second set. That's right. You will be our second set of eyes. Oh, sorry. Sarna, don't get you far from me, please. I will not shepherd, and I will make us a campfire. And I am going to walk alongside far enough away

where I'd imagine we make camp. And I would look around, and I would like to find maybe a singular flower that's like totally overgrubes. with like overgrowth. Sure. You're dead. Easy enough.

And I'll lean down and I'll grab the flower. Such flavor. And I will run my scaled fingers over it and say, so beautiful, overgrown by moss, lichen, weeds, tragic. And on a sacred flame, the whole thing. And a fire will erupt. And I will gazed. into it and I will say Garex fire lord grants me the power to destroy as I say in prayer and a fire is made camp fire is made how far were you have walked away from me before you

unfortunately very serious not not too far I went probably I have hurt all you I'm keeping an eye on you I am not going to spring this okay I would not you see you see him over doing something, but it sounds like he's more muttering. All right. All of a sudden, you see these flames erupt. Okay, I'm just keeping an eye on him while I'm doing my job. All right. I will, uh, so we should spend the evening at least an hour to taking sketches down and,

um, I suppose we shall make camp. So I'm going to take my case and I'm going to kind of pick it up and hold it in front of me and let go. And it's floating there in front of me. And I'm going to unlash the latches, open it up. You would have seen this before and your travels with them. And I'm going to pull out my, like all of my kind of bedding and stuff and everything that, like, I usually take out when we make camp. And I will close it, open it again, and there are bunch of different little trays. And I will pull out a bit of string and a little bit of bark and kind of wrap it around and sort of take 10 minutes and kind of do some weird hand movements and say,

service in invisibatus and then all of a sudden nothing happens but you guys can see and I will pick up my bed and I'll be handing oh thank you my good chap

please sit down how I like and you see my bed roll get picked up and rolled down a tent starting to get set up and my invisible servant is going to set up my camp for me I didn't believe it the first thing. Or five times I saw it, but now I'm starting to get used to it.

So I will say with this, you guys make camp and you get a long rest. Not that it matters. Oh, thank goodness. And for the sake of gravity, you have been dealing with this excavation for probably about four, not probably about three days. So I wake up. My invisible servant is making me tea. Thank you.

And I'll I'm so glad you to talk about you told us for that. I'll name you later. And so I'm going to drink my tea and I'll flood a non-descript book. And I'm reading through it, which you'll now learn is my morning ritual to prepare my spells is drinking tea

and reading my book. No, I hadn't caught on. I'm so glad. Thanks. Once I finish my tea, I look down at the leaves in the bottom. Huh. I'll set it down. close it. My spells are prepared. And

Shepherd, may I have a word, please? Of course, Professor. Um, I have a feeling about today. Um, when you stand watch, can you please stand watch to the West? Of course, Professor. Again, you point I shoot. It's not that works. It's always a hunch, but um, I'm expecting a visitor. Uh, professor, of course, um, I, uh, absolutely how well-

And it is as he's saying this, that you begin to hear, directly from the west is the rustling of the trees begins to get louder and louder, the crack of a twig. And just as you put your hand on one of your weapons, on judgment, it's judgment. Perfect. See? On judgment, you turn and look as you see this very pale woman, human in nature, armor on her body, in a make that you have never seen before. But in person, but you have seen in images and in paintings and things. Her hair is long and black with blunt black bangs as Kana emerges from the tree line. It is the morning.

And she's finally found herself. Kana, you find yourself leaving the tree line and entering into this clearing. And immediately your eyes dart to the professor. and there's something about the way that he looks that makes you hear in the back of your mind the voice of that strange woman you'd met in mere three nights before. They'd taken you longer than she had said,

but you have finally found your way. Not another step, young lady. I stop and I bow and remain bowed. I seek the one named Clayton Azran. Yeah, he might be here. Why are you asking? I am Kana. Soyakaze, I must speak with him immediately.

I look kind of over my shoulder, but keep my eyes on. Professor, is this what I was, explain, Professor. Did you know? I'm already walking towards there. This is not going to be great. I'll, like, get up and I'm tested the station, like, clean some some stone. Cephyr. I'm, Seth.

I didn't have time. I didn't have time. I told everything was cleanly before we have our guests. Shepard, ready your weapon. Aim through the head if she makes a sudden movement. I will continue to long. I just way ahead of you. Do I hear this?

Okay. And even though it's the daytime. I don't know. You would know being a samurai that, like, you kind of come upon people who seem to be kind of nervous. And so I'd say you'd have them collected enough that you'd be like, my life. Yes, yes. Hold on. We might not have time, Professor.

All right. I'm going to get up and put on my jacket. Makes another pot of tea. I'm going to go to my camps. I need my possessions. Give you a minute, please. And I will approach, but I mean, not before Sarnax. It's there.

If he gets close enough, I will bow to having. It's not good. Even though it is daytime. It's morning, I still have a lantern that is lit. And it's magical glow that is radiating around it. I will then shift it and it'll bathe your figure. And I will peer with my piercing eyes. Greetings.

Lizard creature. Have I seen lizard folk in Ari? Yeah. A fiery will, you come for the professor. I do. If you have come to kill him, I regret to inform you you will not succeed. I would have killed him.

already if I had came to kill him. I am here to protect him. That is unlikely as the two of us are paid to do the same. And also there is an assistant. I am unsure of her role in this situation. Do I hear those? Oh, of course. Absolutely. Probably all stand. Yeah, and you're all very close. At the time you put your, you were sitting at the same area where Clayton had previously been drinking his tea. You had a tea that he had made for you in the morning. It's now his ritual that he makes one for both of you as he pushes books in front of you. And you now have this, you now have this entire ritual or habit kind of laid out. He push a book towards you and he'll

just say a word, you know, oh, that's the one. And so you, you've been scribbling in this book looking for the things. And as he says, you kind of look up and around, you sip your tea, but you begin to focus more on the conversation at hand. Yes, I'm here. here as as I begin to discern her I would like to discern whether or not I believe her rolling inside check not great inside oh wow I'm proficient in that night so with nine are you telling him the truth are you lying from it I'm not I'm being very honest as I'll lean in And it's like, do you worship any God? I worship deities.

All deities come from other deities, from where I am from. I do not worship one other than the deities that are my family's ancestors. And perhaps when all is cleansed in fire, you will turn that worship to the fire lord himself and I'll turn away. I'll raise the teacup. Professor. Yes, yes. This is the visitor I was expecting. I will walk and I'll stand next to separate.

So this is what you were warning us about? Well, it wasn't so much of a warning as I didn't get too much information from the weave, but I had a feeling someone would approach from the West. Professor, to keep a happy company, perhaps Sarnax should not be the welcoming party. Well, that was, of course, not my intention, but I was, to be fair, I also have both to keep another business. I also tried to stop him, but quite frankly, Sarnax isn't quite listening to anything I have to say. I know it's only been a few days, but he's a little stubborn, more than I even think that I could be.

We all have a problem possess. Cooks, you may say. Faults. Now, I don't mean to be presumptuous, but who are you? As I mentioned, I am Kana Soyokaze. I've not moved any closer. Oh, Kama, Soto Kaze. He's literally standing there.

completely resolved, not making any emotion to move forward, but also not in a stance of aggression, but of firmness in where she's supposed to be and confidence. What's your business with the professor? Well, welcome to my Dixact. Thank you. Yes, Ms. Sui. Thank you, and I bow. Have you gone up to me? Madam, yeah, I'll approach you.

My name is Professor Clayton, Azvan. Thanks, Mike. I invite a cup of tea while we get to know you. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Azran. And who are you, Madame? Miss Victoria Isaacs. I don't shake your hand, but I also bow. Oh, just get my head.

Greetings, Victoria. I would very much like to speak with you. It does not need to be in private, and I offer my protection at no charge. Oh, please, please. I'll make her a cup of tea. This is good. Thank you.

I do enjoy tea. Professor, I have to wonder if you knew this was going to happen and then you just kind of did you fit. Why? Do you really need me to... Well, no, I just get... I get very subtle senses that things may happen. Again, there's not much detail,

and this could have been a foul creature that you would have killed instantly, and that's why I had you post-watch here. I may have been a minotaur or an evil owl person, and but I just had a sense that we had a visitor an Eroko Krof, that's right. All right. Professor, fine.

I didn't mean to assume. Right, and I will give you a heads if I can. Mr. Soyo Acces, is that what you said? You may call me Connor. Anna. Ms. Connor, or perhaps just Connor. Join us for tea. And so I'll start to kind of lead you to our campsite.

I will not have my back turned to Sarnax at any point. Well, Sarnax, can you lead the way back to the campsite, man? I mean, like, I'm your 15 yards that way. Please just walk over there. I am going to look at her. I'm going to turn to Shepard. I'm going to just, my eyes will walk, and I'll just give them up. And then I'll turn, and I will walk back.

I just do a little flourish, like, and I, you know, like, please, after you. That's all I can muster. I'll intentionally just not grab arms or anything, but just walk next to her in the same direction. And we're heading back to camp? Your camp is like immediately right outside of the ruins. We're like, yeah, we're going to 20 yards. We're approaching to the actual campsite itself that chairs and tents and like that. So, Ms. Kana, given that this is my expedition, I would like you to state your purpose, please.

I pull out the seal and hand it to Clayton. I set my tea down. I came across a group of Bastani. I told them the story of my missing master. He has been missing for years, and I've been traveling exiles from my own village. Assumptions made, rumor spread that I slayed him. I did not, but I was told you may have information on who did. Where did you get this?

From a group of Astani that say they hail from a land of Borovia. Part of this seal I found partially burned in my master's quarters prior to me leaving my village. This is the letter I found burnt partially in my master's quarters. Give it the gift here, and I'll grab it and I'll look, yes. It is my only connection to knowing what truly happened to it, and they recommended I find you. This symbology, this symbolism is of Borovia. It certainly is, I'm certain of it.

This raven iconography, do you see it matches the feather motif that's failing present in the church? I'll start showing people. I look at the church, having just noticed it, and does it seem recognizable? see that there is the remnants of a circular stained glass window. Most of it is completely ruined, but as you hold off the blood red wax steel, and the light shines off of it, you see the faint red in the remaining pieces of glass, and it directly

matches the leg of the raven finger on the seal. Oh, shit. That if this stained glass had been in its entirety, you would see the exact same seal. Can I reach my hand up and cast mending on the stained glass? glass? Sure. So you do this. And you see as the

shards of glass that were embedded deep within the earth, this window had shattered hundreds of years ago, potentially. They begin to float up into the air and form anew the new stained glass window as the sun pierces through it,

reflected on the ground immediately in front of you as the symbol of straw. Well, I'll be. Victoria! It's a brilliant way you can do that sooner! A firing night's in your desire, Professor. You see the glass form, and you're all surprised by this,

but your eye, Shepherd, is trained to see things out of sorts, and you see that the ground that was disturbed where the glass itself had been embedded has not stopped moving. And what would have been a surprise attack is now not. This creepy, rotting hand, significantly larger than a human hand. It almost looks as if you've been severed from the limb of a giant, as it begins the fingers first curling up out of the moist earth

from which the glass shards were risen forth. As this rotting hand begins to skitter towards all of you, Clayton, it is your turn. Shepwood, kill it, please. And I want to jump and run immediately behind everybody, else. Okay. And I was to sneak, Ignatius! And I want to shoot a firebolt. Five damage. Really? Yeah. Okay. You see as Clayton runs behind Shepard, and he reaches his hand out. He shouts a word that none of you seem to understand as fire billows forth from his outstretched finger.

as he points. And you see as the the hand, this rotting claw on the ground, it dites erupts into flames and dies. No. It's a goblin.

My god's what was that? I'm going to immediately run up to it and like kick it. Like making sure that it's dead dead. As you kick it, the fire that singed around it had had permeated the bone itself and you see as fluts of bone dust begin to scatter and billow up into the air, as the rotting claw begins to...

Chapo, don't disturb it. Don't disturb it, please, please. Of course, Professor, but that was a nice shot. This is a good moment to take the opportunity to say, maybe we need to be careful about what we disturb and maybe fix. I apologize. I meant no harm. You couldn't have known. None of us could have, but I'm just saying, Again, we need to be extra careful. There was a tinct for this horrible temple.

The whole thing must be purged in holy fire. I think that's a bit extreme. The whole point is that we're going to excavate this ruin. There's untold. I mean, the fact that there's this animated, decomposing hand crawled out of the ground, seemingly because we were here, I must investigate. And I want to start sketching in my notebook,

just sort of the hand, what it looks like. I thought it's from a mixture. Sorry. Farnex, do you know anything about this thing? There is a horrible taint to this land, a horrible taint in this forest. The dead walk, the earth. I fear no one dead.

And I'll walk up 10 feet from it and poked the hand and excavated like a little bit with my warm. It's already, Shepard has already turned it to dust at this point. No, no. You went up and kicked it totally after. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. The professor told me not to.

I just, I didn't know how to react. I kicked it to make sure we. No one could blame you. It was probably attached to a body. What? You think there might be more? Yes. All right.

Then I can't, I cannot stress this enough. And I don't, I don't, I don't want to be. that person, but we all need to make sure that we go more a little bit more carefully here. All right. We proceed with caution. Shepard, would you like to excavate this plant? I'd be happy. Professor, what do you hope to gain?

Lucas, Lucas. And after like a second or two, you'll see the floating couple coming. Yes, it's Lucas. What if this do you find? Yeah, yeah. It's been a while since I've done anything like this. If the doc could see me now, I'll be happy to date. Sure.

Please, please be, please be careful. Fine. Everybody just take a few steps back. I'll step way back. I'll hold up my lantern. Please put your minis where you're at. Just for the sake. I'll be around.

I mean, like, I'm going to be on top of the hand. I'm like back. You'll be supporting Shepard right here with my lantern. I've got 10 feet reach, just 10 feet within 10 feet. I'm going to sink the shovel and the dirt. Say, yeah. Now, Professor, how far do you want me to dig? I start throwing dirt over my shoulder.

Can you roll a, let's do you slide a hand? Oh, boy. Oh, I got an 18. Okay. Wow. You begin to shovel into the earth, and you are looking for what Kana had said to you, the remnants of the whatever body this hand came from.

This was a significantly larger hand than you'd expected, so you'd expect the bones themselves to be, to be larger. And on occasion, you see something, a pale, beige glint that you believe to be a bone, but you see that it's just a large stone or a rock. And you are about to give up. You've been digging in this circular basin for about five to ten minutes, everyone on looking as you feel the shovel make contact with something hard.

And it's at this moment that every single one of you feels a jolt in the floor. beneath you as the makes contact with the very bottom of whatever this is. The rotting, aged wood of the floor of this temple begins to cave in beneath you. As you feel the wood itself

crack and splinter, all of you begin tumbling down as the floor gives out and you all to make a dexterity saving third place. Did it text be said? Temple Temple. Natural one. No.

Oh, no. I'll be at three. I got so wrong. You got 22. I got 14. What? Stop rolling so off. Six.

Okay. So, Victoria, Kana and Sarnak, you hit the ground and immediately take eight points, actually, of damage, and you find that there is beneath. You're like dying in session zero? Unconscious. You're dead. I rolled max damage on this, so there was two to four. So it was eight damage.

As you find that you plummet down nearly 20 feet, but you don't just hit the earth beneath you. There is a dilapidated crypt nestled beneath the ruins of this. And where you would have expected to see sarcophagi or coffins, etc., you instead see a horrific display of bones placed in random happenstance. And it just so happens in the places that you fall, the femurial, the femur, and leg bones jagged and broken from battles ages ago, sticking straight up out of the ground as you find your body impaled on them, taking potentially a significant amount of damage. So you're unconscious?

I can use strength of the grave when damage that isn't radiant or from a critical hit reduces you to zero HP. I can make a charisma saving throw. Oh, that's bad ass. To drop to one HP instead. That's fucking awesome. It was not a critical hit, though. It was not a critical.

I did because I passed. I rolled match. You guys don't even take half. None. It was just to determine where you landed. Or if you landed on these spikes and if it did damage. Charisma?

Oh, baby. So 22. Yeah, you definitely. Okay, so I'm down to one HP. You find yourselves as the dust begins to settle around you. Victoria is bleeding profusely from where one of these jagged fever bones

jutted into her side. She's holding onto the spot. The. ancient bone is still exposed there at her side as she is almost in shock at the pain emanating from her. The two of you are also significantly damaged by the bones you've landed on. Listen, Isaacs, are you all right? Amazing. Isaac, this will hurt and my lantern will glow and my hand ignites in this horrible cauterizing fire.

And I just immediately take my hand and apply it to your wound. I'm going to cast cure wounds. It hurts like shit, but... You feel as the searing magic that he's forcing into your body is burning the flesh where this bone is, you see if the bone begins to crumble

under the heat of his magic, as he's able to wrench the last remaining bit, and you see the wound on your side completely charred, but as you dust, the bone dust away, the blackened, singed bone dust, you see that not even a scar remains on this wound. Your dress, however, is

singed and we'll need mending. Sarnax, what in the hell is that? Mr. Sarnix, I have no words. You do not need words. You need to see the power of the fire. You guys are now in the other temple there. I doubt nothing, and I do not doubt. You did collapse through.

I'll just give you a knowing nod, and I will cast my lantern to, rather than me, the colonel around us. Yep. The aerial, and I'm going to try to cast as much light. The hooded lantern

and try to cast as much light around. You're easily able to eliminate the entire thing. This is curious. I'm sorry, Professor. I couldn't have known. I had no way to know. No, no. This is not your fault.

It was... I warned us, we... If you begin to look around, you see that the bones of the dead are not resting in graves or slots in the walls but are instead propped up in strange scenes of battle or humanly acts,

whether it be that of sitting around a table or engaging in a warm hug, but the bones feel almost human-like as you look from disheveled skeleton to disheveled skeleton. Remnants of pieces of bones, not full skeletons, are scattered everywhere throughout this crypt. And it is, as you look around as Sarnax's light infiltrates all of the shadows along every area of this crypt,

that you see that there are dusty stone steps seeming to lead even further into the earth. And in front of them, two metal doors closed, shut. No handles seem to be present on them. And the symbol, that same symbol that you saw on the, on the wax seal, the same symbol that Victoria was able to mend at the front of these ruins is emblazoned on the front of the store. This is the same symbol. This is definitely related to Borovia. Where did you get this burned letter? As I mentioned, I found it in my master's keep. Where did you live? Where are you from? I am from.

You're from the land of you? That's very, very far from here. I have traveled far to find you. And you found this. It must have been sent to him by whoever represents this symbol. We're on the other side of the world. And yet the same symbol lies before us. I can't possibly begin to know what this means either.

We're very close or we're very, very far. And this is simply just another smoke stream. And I will say as this happens, you're all able to take a short rest. I know things have been a little hectic and I don't mean to interrupt, but, uh, Kana, I want to apologize for earlier for almost drawn down on you when you came out in bushes. My name's Shepard, and I hope you can forgive me. Oh, sorry. I was rolling for my hit dice. It's all good. It's all good. Normally we do not shake from where I'm from, but I appreciate it. What did we do?

Oh, then I apologize. Did I offend you when I shook your hand? No, I am not offended, but I hope you do not take offense if I simply back. Of course not. I just wanted to take the time to properly introduce myself as the hired muscle, I suppose, for the professor and Miss Isaac's here. You'll find that we're very eager to learn of new things. We accept new customers willingly. A true gentleman always greets an individual the way that they prefer, so...

At least most of our views. There burns away the old so that the new may grow. On the contrary, Sarnax, water is what my choice of purification is. Thank you all for your hospitality. I'm honored to meet you all. So tell me more. You said you found this in your master's chambers, and do I see a name written on it?

You see Arrovich. Wait, it's here. It says Arrovich. This can't be right. It's as if he'd signed by Aurovich? This is not the... You can see the red ink smudges where the quill dripped as the signature had finished.

So I know it's a baron. I know the name's Shrod von Zarovich. What do you mean baron? Do I know that... Baron or count or whatever? Countess. Well, I don't know. But you don't know that.

The Westonie, though, told me a countess, yeah. They did, yeah. The Vastani mentioned the Countess. They did not give me a name. They said I would find out, perhaps from you today. Does that ring a bell? The Countess doesn't seem right. Could it be?

This Arovich, I mean, the great Strah von Zorović, this must be signed by him. It has to be. But he was a mighty warlord that conquered territories. He fought great wars. and brought great honor to his family's name. But Countess, though, it must be... Could it be the same person? Perhaps his wife?

Perhaps. Perhaps he has gone and his wife still lives, but how long ago do you find this? About four years. Four years? I thought this page of history. I have been wandering... I have been wandering far and wide

until I overheard Barovia spoken by these Vastani and an encampment nearby. Now, I understand my part in all of this, is just to make sure that all of us folks make it there and back safely. But, you know, as far as I understand, this wasn't even confirmed as being a real place, but this seems to be the most solid evidence that I've seen so far that maybe you've come across to indicate that this is a real place with a real person. This must be fate for you to wander into our camp and provide me with more evidence that Barovia actually exists.

And here we are, the very seal that we see here and here and here. And in the stained glass window above us, it must exist. It's all around us. Yes, it is. It is all around us. And we must learn everything we can from this excavation. And just give me a moment. is take the time to, like, take it everything around me and just sort of examine everything.

Are we going to be able to get back out of here? I feel like I should be working on a way to get out. We felt quite a waste. That's fine, Mr. Shepard, please do. I just don't do anything foolish, please. I'll walk back towards where we fell, and I'm just going to look around to see it's a way out. You look around, and it looks like it's going to be difficult to get out of here. You would have to use the bones and some rope to fashion some kind of ladder and hope you're able to get it secured 20 feet up. It's going to take some work, but a few of you, Cona, and Shepard, Victoria, Sarnatch, you begin to help in this endeavor. So I'll have you all, I'll have you roll with advantage a plate of hand for creating a rope and making it work and an acrobatics for being able to

secure it. I've got a bitter rope. May the light of Garrick's guide you and I give you guidance. So my sleight of hand is going to be a 24, and my acrobatics is going to be a 28. Okay, so you, with the help of your new compatriots, you believe that you would be able to fashion some type of ladder out of what's available in this room and that you have found a way you will have to climb upon some of the macabre themes that are around the room, but you believe you would be able to secure it in a way that everyone can get out. It's going to take you roughly an hour or so to do it.

I'm happy to do it. That's my job, sort of hired for. In the meantime, Clayton, you are standing at the center of this room and you are looking around and the scenes themselves, some are gruesome and some are quaint, and they look like scenes of happiness depicting many arrays of emotions. The only thing that draws your attention is the three steps further down into the earth and the arched stone doorway blazoned with the symbol that you've seen on so many places today.

Well, this is iconography. It's screams baroque. Well, Kahnem, may you help me with the door? I will. You look strong enough. And I will invite you to help me press the door open. As your hands come into contact with the door, and I saw that there was.

No, you saw that there were no handle on the door. And it comes as a shock to you as the door begins to vibrate violently beneath your hands. The both of you jump back. So I would say move yourself

probably 10 feet from the door. As you begin to see the door move and shake and what once was just a metal door in front of you, you see his armored figure begins to move his way out of the door. war. A strange animated suit of armor emblazoned on both puldrons with that same strange

raven-like symbol. A huge great sword held in his hands the clanking of his boots as his metal as his metal boots hit these stone steps. You see bits of stone fly as it as cracks begin to form in the stairs themselves and you don't roll for initiative. Yay! You see as this animated armor, at this vantage point, you can see directly into the helmet,

the empty space within, no eyes, no skull, just the door itself formed as a warrior in front of you. It is a shepherd's turn. So I have 30 feet of movement. I'm going to move up. Shepherd protects me.

15, 20, 25, have 30 light. I'm going to shout, uh, Professor, Kana, step back, this isn't natural. And I'm going to take two shots with judgment and, uh, redemption. All right.

At this creature. Uh, an eight plus seven is going to be a 15 and a four plus seven is going to be 11. For those myths? Fuck. Um, Star next. I am going to, uh, raise my, uh,

lantern up and the eyes and the, skull are going to glow. And I'm going to say, grant me the power to destroy and then strike through allies. And the eyes are going to glow in a guiding bolt as I hopefully miss. Oh, boy. All right, Kana, this is indeed unnatural. And I will run up to it. And I will attack it with my Naginata.

That will miss with a 10. Yeah. Kahnah, please get in front of me. All right, and I will move in front of... Thank you. And I will end my turn there. Okay. Clayton.

I'm going to back up. I'll say, Ignatius. And I'm going to fireball. 20 something. 10 fire damage back to 10. Nice. Wow. You see as Clayton peers around

at Conno. moves in front of Clayton, he peers around behind her and he points his finger, he says the same strange word. It's Isaac. Me? No, the, the bad guy. Oh, shit. Yeah, I know. I rule,

I rule. So, you see as he moves forward and he holds his great sword up in front of him as he attempts to bring it down on Cona. He's going to make one attack, and he is going to...

13? Misses. he is going to then take it again and make a second attack with an eight so I'll also miss you see as he tries to swing in the armor itself it seems to be as you look the joints seem to be a little rusted

as it's having a hard time making contact and swift like the wind Kana is able to back up and move almost in unison with the way that Clayton is shrinking off behind her and she's able to withstand both clothes Victor Ryan okay

I'm going to kind of just step into, I guess, sort of into view of line of sight. And I'll just kind of cast outward. So, Chaos Bolt, feeling sort of like, I want to hit this thing, but I don't know if I should. Like my God's saying, I should, I don't know if I should. See is probably not good. 13 misses yeah you see as um i will say sarnax and um shepry you see as victoria clashing onto her prayer beats um shaking as she closes her eyes and attempts to um cast something at this creature it slams into the door behind doing apparently no damage and she seems to be struggling with her faith in this

moment and with that it is shembrister i'm going to move up And I'm going to take two more shots at the shoot of armor. It's like, one. It's going to 15. 21 hits. All right. So 1D6 plus only 1D6. What is this?

That's plus your something, right? 1d6 plus 5. So 7 points. So let's sad. It's why you go like this and nothing happens. You grip? You take judgment and redemption and you tempt to fire in one of, one of your blast is able to make purchase in this armor,

of blowing off one of the puldrons with that strange symbol that you're growing so accustomed to. You see that as the puldron falls, the entire arm, the gauntlet and everything falls and clatters to the ground, in no form seeming to be within this suit of armor, but it still seems to be able to hold on to its great sword,

the other arm hanging limped from the sword, one still firmly attached as it turns its attention to you, but you seem to have done a significant amount of damage. I knew this wasn't human, Sarnax. I will step 30 feet towards the creature as I believe that

Garrick's will protect me as I raise my wooden, my bargain buckler as I'm going to step forward and I will realize that it is heavy arms. Let us see how good you are dodging the hillfire of Garrick's

and I'm a cast a stick of flame. And a dexterity saving throw on your part. 13. 13 fails. And so as you see a pillar of dragon fire appears great. And does one point a week. You cold down this pillar of fire around this creature. And whatever metal this armor is made from,

it is the exact same as this door. And you don't even see the dark dusting. of the fire as it singes the metal, it seems to do barely anything. This creature still has its helmet honed directly on to Shepard, and it is now Connistern. She's going to brace back on her hind leg and raise her glave up defensively, and mutter ancestors guide me. And I'll look up at the golem creature and say, not quick enough, and I will take the judge action.

All right. Clayton. Put my case up. Pop it open. I don't know if this will work, but I'm going to grab a little lemon tart. And I'm going to grab a little feather and wave it in the air. And I'll say, And I'm going to cast hideous laughter on it.

Okay. Oh, my God. I love this new scabend. I think that's happening right now. Oh, there's an ending there. I'm sorry. Ooh. Oh, shit.

15? That passes. Okay. I have a negative 4. I'm a natural 19. Pretty good. Negative 4. Yeah.

I thought so. And I'm going to close the kids. I just want to float it down on my side. And it doesn't work on someone who's got a four of a lower. Yeah, he's got an end of one. Okay. I wouldn't work anyway. Work anyway.

You see as you cast this and this word is not one that you're familiar with. As Clayton looks on longingly, but this entity seems to be unbothered by what's happened as he's now staring, he's continuing to stare directly at you. It is now his turn. He sees that Kana is directly in his way, so he is going to attempt to slice in on you. You're taking the dodge action, so he's disadvantaged.

Yep, oops, leave. Yep. With a natural one for the first attack. Very good. Because of disadvantage. And another natural one. So you see as he slides in with both of them, one of his severed arm from

Shepard's attack, still hanging limply from his great sword, and it seems to be knocking the blade off balance as he attempts to slice in, and he is unable to find purchase on you. Ha! Victoria. Okay.

Still struggling with Elmader telling me to kill this thing and me not so sure. I'm going to try to cast chaos built again. Perfect. 17 plus 5. Big money. You see as Victoria begins clutching her prayer beads, a strange

shadow begins to billow out from her hand mixed with radiant light as she forces her hand forward and a swirling mix of energy begins to blast towards this creature. So the numbers on the D8s choose to determine the element. On a hit, the target takes 2D8 plus 1D6 damage. Choose one of the D8s. The number rolled on that die determines the attack damage type I've shown below. Yep. So three or four.

So that would be fire or force. Whatever you choose. So I'll do force damage. Force yourself. Okay. Seven, ten. All right. You blast him with this chaotic swirling amalgamation of magic.

As it slams into its chest, you see as the force of this damage spirals the helmet around backwards. His socketless eyes are now facing directly towards the door. The chest cavity is. caved in in a way that you can see directly through to the back of the suit of armor. But he is still holding there. He seems to be looming forward a little bit as if he is feeling very wounded. And it is Shepard's turn. With judgment and redemption in full glory, I'm going to take two more shots at the

unholy piece. And I miss both. Oh, no. That's a big yikes for me, dogs. All right. multiple yikes. Completely caught off guard by this swirling chaotic magic that's disrupted

from the hand of your new companion. You are unable to land both of your shops, but Sarnax comes in holding his lantern high. What are you going to do? I'm going to step directly next to the creature besides Kana, raising my shield and on my left arm,

and I'm going to cast sacred flame again, so we need to make a dexterity saving for BC-14. I rolled a natural 15 plus zero 15. Yeah, yeah. So he dodges that. He didn't want to do one damage to him? Nope. You see his next attempts once again to burn this creature in a sacred fire. But it is, it seems to be unaffected as it is now Clayton. Well, that didn't work. Let's try this. And I'll pull my case out. I'll open it again. And I'll look through, pull out some rose petals. No, that won't do. Crickets? No. No, I'll get some sand.

Ah, yes. I'm going to put it. my hand and I'm going to say slumbero and I'm going to blow dust over him and cast sleep. Yeah, boy. That's so cool. It's 5'8. So 27 health. So if he's at 27 health below, he falls asleep unless he's immune to be charmed or in debt. You blow this dust at him and you see as it begins to filter in through the cracks and the

open areas of this armor, but there is not an entity in Sape as the dust begins to settle, and he continues to hold himself firm. Poor ass, right, man. I'm flying! Using the momentum of his blows,

I will attempt to make an attack with my nagging nut. Now you know. That'll fucking hit, ladies and gentlemen. What's your role? On natural 17th, so that'll hit with 22. Yeah, that misses. I'm just kidding, it doesn't it?

Yeah, my sleep comes over me too and I just pass out. He gets fucking slept. Well, actually, did you read sleep because it actually might hit you guys? Because I remember I had that issue to still leave. Well, indeed. I mean, I feel like you can aim at. Well, I physically can't point past. Oh, yikes.

You dropped it right on two of our friends. All right, let's see what happens. We'll see what happens. That is the old Clayton over here. You're going down with me. I'm out 100%. It is. You wrote like four times all of our hit points.

You're both the same. What hit points do you guys have? Nine. Nine. What do you have? So it would start with him. It would start him. So don't tell me.

I think I rolled what, 27? 28. I'm 27. Roll 27. Oh, you told me 28. Oh, well. So subtract him. immune, but he still subtracts it.

Okay. So you have how much? I have nine. So if there's nine who it's left. You fall unconscious. Okay. Great. Uh, fuck you.

Nice. Thanks for the 22. Um, I don't know. She got her pass from, from before time. Yeah, no, no, she went first. She would have gone before.

Yeah, but I let him go first. It's okay. I don't mind. I think that's funny. Okay. And then you have left. Literally. I'm over here.

You have 11? 11. 11. You also fall unconscious. I was expected. I'm chapa, please. I'm slumped over.

I'm slumped over Sardax. You're going to get fucking murked. You see it as both of your friends fall unconscious at the feet of this creature. It's helmet spun around behind it. It you see as it reaches out

to strike at Kana, but its helmet spun around from the last attack that hit it. It does not seem to realize that she is now on the ground. It's still going to make an attack so at disadvantage because it's trying to hit her normally. And so it's going to miss. That would have been a natural twin, but it will miss. Oh my gosh. So you see with his helmet spun around to the back, it can't seem to figure out where you are as it strikes through the air expecting you to still be where you were standing because your body is now asleep on the floor in front of you. It is now, um, it is now, um,

Victoria's turn. I'm going to like clutch my my prayer beads and like kind of feel fear and then as I clutch it, a hand will reach out. You're going to do chill touch? And I will do chill touch. So 1D8, so it takes three necrotic damage and can't regain hit points until the start of my next turn. Okay. Stupid.

You send out this hand as it reaches in. It is unable to find flesh to take. care at, but you see as the nails, the claws of this hand right down the chest of the broken armor. Pieces that it begin to splinter and fall, and it is having a hard time holding itself up. Shepherd. I'm going to step diagonally five feet towards the wall,

towards you. That one more. Diagonal. Perfect. And as I take two attacks, I'm going to shout, Cona Sarnax, wait the fuck! up. I got a 24 and a miss. Okay, 24. God.

11 points of damage. How do you want to do this? Hey! Using judgment, I'm going to aim for the turn around head and try to blow the helmet right off the creature. So you see, as Shepard says this, the both of you. begin to come to as you see one of these blast hits into the helmet and spins it around and just as it spins around to face you another blast hits it shattering the helmet spinning it wildly

off of it is it crumbles backwards into the door you see that as it makes purchase with the door it begins to meld into it and where there had not been a crease where there had not been knobs or handles the door splits directly down the middle a strange eerie light and mist begins to billow out from the newly formed crack as the doors swing open in front of you. Let's get a serious apologies. I want to cast mage-hand and make up one and then I'll approach another one. I also approach the two. Professor, what do you know about this mist?

Is everyone all right? I get off. Sorry, are you all right? They should be fine. That was me, unfortunately. I hate to say it, but my magic didn't seem to have any effect. It's all right. I was a little rusty as well.

It took a little warm up today, to be honest. I think this is all new territory. I hope you know that protecting you will be increasingly harder if I am unconscious. I would appreciate a heads on. Yes, up until then, you did wonderfully standing in front of me and then blocking all of the foul creatures attacks. It is as you are saying this, that you begin to feel the mist pushing in on you and choking you. You're starting to feel sick from the mist that you're breathing in.

I'm going to try to do you sacred flame to emily all around my lantern not hitting anybody and try to burn away the mist. You attempt to do this, but the mist still seems to be enveloping you pouring in from the overall right. You're more powerful than Garrick's the fire lord. We should continue and try to get out of the mist. The only way to get out. Should we not double back? You know it would take you. about an hour to try and get out of this because of how tall it is not done yet. I couldn't finish my gun. I trust my God and I'm going to walk forward.

I trust my gun. Where are you going? If we are speaking the professor. I'm going to use presidenation to try to like use cuffs of wind in front of me to like clear my face. You do this. You're able to get enough that you're able to breathe

as you begin to make your way down these stone steps as you run and you feel like and you feel like your lungs are closing and around you. And even though you're clearing away bits of this mist, you're still inhaling it as you run. But it does not take you too long before you find that this strange archstone corridor leads itself out

into a beautiful sunlit field. The silver air or the silver light that you'd seen was actually the strange luminescence of a sun held high in the sky. And as you look around, you realize that it doesn't match up with the time it should be. It doesn't match up with the time of day from when you left and how long you had been. And as you look around the tall evergreen trees feel like almost as if they're encroaching on you. And you look about and this forest looks nothing like the place that you had just left.

As you turn to look behind you, you see that the mist has almost completely obscured the way behind you. What in the nine hells is this? This is not my forest. And I would say you would know 100% that you are not in the same forest. Wait, wait, where, where are we? This is not... Wait, we are not in Erios anymore. Professor, you don't know where we are?

No, I have no idea where we are. Do not recognize these lands. I want to look just around to see if I get any sense of geographical or like the trees feel like Brovian trees or do I get any kind of sense that... So you don't know anything about Berovian trees, so you would have no idea whether they feel like Berovian trees. But you do know that there are two, I call them sister mountains and mountains that not necessarily

mirror each other, but are nestled Berovia within them. And as you look up over the tree line, you see two trees that fit the description of what you recognized, Mount Berratham being the one you're most familiar with. And you look around and you can't be certain, but you feel a strange sense of familiarity based on some of the things that you've read. And as you look out ahead of you, you see a strange cobblestone path leading off into the forest ahead. I'm going to keep my one judgment drawn, and the other hand is just, I'm ready. Can this be? Have I found it?

Can it be... Ravarvavar? Ravarie, Saba. Can it be Barovia? My gosh! Do you see? Do my eyes deceive me? Are those two mountain tops right ahead?

Where are we, Professor? I mean, I see the mountains, Professor. What do you get at? I think I recognize two mountains, one in particular. In my research, it feels like Mounts Beratok. which is one of the mountains of Borovia. The legend says that Borovia sits in a hidden valley. This could be it.

It seems as if you are teleported here, though. I assumed it was a place that we could just travel to. We had to find the right mountains and the right valleys, but, and I want to turn around and look to see where we came. Do I get any turn to turn? I guide my lantern. You guide your lantern, and you see that even through the faintness of the mist, It is thick here, but all that is behind you is a lonely road headed in the other direction and thick outcroppings on either side of trees.

And you know that you are, but you should be but near maybe five, ten feet from the exit of the strange tunnel you traveled through. But behind you, there is no tunnel. Just missed in a lonely road. Professor, we were literally in a basement, not even 15, 30 seconds ago. You're going to tell me now that all of a sudden we're here in, well, a field. It's sunny? I can't be sure, but... Well, it's not sunny. It's a strange silver light as it is incredibly overcast,

but where the sun is hidden behind the gray clouds, you believe that it is closer to evening, whereas it should be about noon. Oh. I won't make any presumptions. A true gentleman never presumes, but... I can't be sure, but it's a strange feeling that we may have found something.

And I'm going to just kind of keep sketching. Times that be like that. The two peaks that I see ahead of me. It must have been some kind of arcane gate through those doors that we stumbled through. And I apologize for encouraging us all to go through. There's no path now but forward. I recommend we follow the path away from. from the mists.

As he sang this, I want to crouch down as I place a hand on a pouch on my hip, and I'll then move it, and I want to reach down and try to grab a handful of soil and inspect it. It looks like it's similar soil to where you came from. It seems to be incredibly rich, moist, rainfall. Just looking at the sky seems to be a common, occurrence here and the earth seems to be at least where at currently seems to be well fertile does it seem to be a possible uh like it'd be a very well suitable soil for trees for trees of seeds that i'm a certain variety i will as i i'll kneel down and all as i'm inspecting the soil a

a creepy smile will come to my face, and then I'll place it back, and I'll stand up, and I'll say, Professor, I believe you have lit us to the right place. I won't say that I have, but I need more evidence. Sorry, I know. What's with the sudden change in behavior? You said this wasn't your force.

It is not my farce, but perhaps one, one day it will be. And it is with that that you all begin to make your way down the path as the mists begin to start encroaching again behind you. You travel for a good 30 minutes. The forest

is dense. The trees are evergreen and the sky above you is actually familiar to Clayton and to Victoria. It's the same dark overcast skies that you're used to in Bargast. But it is different here.

The sounds around you are significantly more quiet, though you do hear life in the trees around you. It takes you about 30 minutes before the trees open up, and a rolling green opening presents itself in front of you. A

large, gigantic stone wall, an arched entryway that would allow single file travel directly through it. What once had a gate where a porticoleus on it

to prevent people from moving through is now broken and laying on the ground next to it. Two gigantic statues, one on either side, headless with age, the entire wall in decay and disrepair. What, this is...

Have I... Do I know anything about this? You have seen depictions of this, the guardians of Borovia, the gates to the sacred land. This can't be. I found it. Magnificent. These are the guardians.

This is the gate of Barovia. I found it. We've done it. We're in Barovia. Professor. I never thought. I knew it was real. I knew it was real.

I told you. I told you all it was real. And here we are. I don't want to use the word doubt because I wouldn't be here if I thought the whole thing was, wasn't real in the first place, but what concerns me now, sir, is what lays beyond those gates?

That is precisely why we idea, good man. Do you think it's wise to just walk right through and see what's on the other side? What choice do we have? I start walking towards the open door way. How do we? I mean,

I must... Victoria, stop sketching, please. I'll clutch me. my beads and it just keeps me. Connor, no, I wouldn't go too close. That yet, just don't do it. I'm going to need some time to examine every square inch. I don't believe we have that kind of time.

You notice that you all have benefited from a long rest. As the mist that would have happened as the mist kind of left your throat and you found yourselves in this land. I'm going to start sketching and I want to run up and like look at the construction and look at the masts. and just really take it in and just this has to be it. This has to be the gates of Borovia. I just, I don't think anybody should maybe cross the threshold just yet.

Very well, but we should inspect us and move on. Time for drawing, although I respect your craft is short and we should move on. What is the rush, Miss Soyukhase. This is my expedition, don't forget. This is why we are here. I might interject. This is why we are here. We are here not to draw walls and very impressive architecture. I believe we are here for a great purpose.

A great amount of time and life is short. Miss Kana, we are precisely here to draw. That is precisely why I am here. And then I'm just going to turn and just start ignoring everybody. And I see a fire in your desire. I truly now understand you, Professor. You have earned my respect. All right, I'm going to keep keeping one hand on judgment,

just kind of like looking around, surveying the walls, seeing where they go, being cautious. Okay. I am going to use my lantern to go find a patch of overgrowth in like a rotting tree. Growing in and around these statues through the bricks themselves and all along the ground. and I'll find a tree that looks super, like, old and rotten, and I'm going to say, Garricks, I am here for you. I'm here so that this forest may be ours, and I'm going to try to burn.

Castaker flame to burn the most rotting tree that I can. You are easily able to do this as you see the smoke begin to billow up from the tree line as one of these gnarled trees fallen over with age, eaten by mites, lived in by animals, begins to erupt in sacred fire. Sarnax, I don't want to interrupt what you're doing here, but do you think maybe we don't want to draw attention to ourselves because we don't really know where we might be?

Garrick's fire lord grant me the power to destroy. I'm going to watch it burn. It is at this point that you hear, a sound of flapping wings in the distance Clayton

you are standing here sketching completely entranced and the sound hits your ears but you almost don't notice it

as just as quickly a bird lands atop your hat and drops this and it is a bird flutters away what do I know about

what kind of bird was that? I would say you were able to catch a quick look at it, it appeared to be a raven. It was a raven. It was a scroll. Look it, look, look.

This, the bird itself, look at it all. This is for us. And I went to... Open it. Open it. So, as you open it, you begin to read, My friends know that it is I who have brought you to this land, my home.

and know that I alone can release you from it. I bid you dine at my castle so that we can meet in civilized surroundings. Your passage here will be a safe one. I await your arrival. Your host? Stradamia van Zahar. That is the name.

My goodness. That was the name on that piece of paper. Yes, the very one signed in red, as you can see. And I'll take the piece that you gave me. and compare it. She is the one responsible for killing my master. And you know for sure that he's dead? I feel it in my heart.

I don't. It's rather insensitive if you to ask. Well, we're in a brave new world now. I must have venisoned. It's not the time for sensitivity. Connor, I don't mean to assume. I don't want to presume. I don't really want to know anything that you wouldn't be comfortable telling us. but this individual appears to be, for lack of a better word, uncultured.

Civilized, he says it right here, or she? I don't understand. I don't know why they would be so forward if you think that they would just wantonly kill someone you cared about. In my research, the name was Straad von Zarovich, but right here clears day it's signed Stradanja. Von Zorovic, perhaps Strad is a nickname. How could this have been hidden all this time?

Well, we at least, unless I'm dreaming, am I dreaming? Am I dreaming? I don't think so. You tell me, did I hit myself with that sleep spell and put myself to sleep? Somebody pinch me, please. You are very much awake, professor. Like it as you may and may not. My master must have been summoned by this countess.

For what reasons I do not know. your master must have gotten his very own letter well she seems friendly and welcoming enough she wants to die with us in civilized surroundings that sounds like my cup of tea if I've ever heard one Victoria excuse me

there's one part of this that kind of concerns me it's the part that says that they can release us are we stuck here We don't know way back, do we, Professor? Oh, you know, I never quite considered going back. Send word.

Send word where? Here? No. How did she know we were here? The mist, I imagine. The mist? I find myself less inquisitive, given the reception I had from you,

but still it begs a question. Well, she seems polite enough. Perhaps we accept this invitation and dine with her and learn more. Before we all set out on this expedition one way or another, those who may have joined us after the fact, did anyone alert anyone else to where we may be? Yes. I mean, did you tell someone, did anybody tell any loved ones where we might be?

The university knows we were in Trigger. The university knows we were in Herios. I'm sure they will look for us in several months time. I told... Several months. I mean, I told the doc I was leaving, but I told me we were going to be in strickening. Well, these expeditions normally take many weeks. They won't know anything as wrong until I haven't showed up in at least three or four months. So we are very much stuck in our court predicament.

Well, we don't know if we're stuck. We know we've been transported to pretext. Presumably the Lanoborovia. I think my friends too polite to interject in my family, not a consideration. I'll keep this, and perhaps we can present it to prove that we are who we say we are. So what do you, Professor, what do you presume? We just, we just, we walk right through the gates. We were invited inside.

I mean, this. is why we are here. The three of you, I'm paying you, or you've, you've all agreed to come on my expedition. Carter, perhaps this was fate, but you're here now. I won't stop you from enacting revenge if you'd like to go ahead, but I've heard that Borovia can be dangerous, so I recommend against it. We'd be happy to have you, but just know that this is an Azran expedition. So what that means is I'll be funding the expedition. I have the university's money on my person, and our goal is to learn as much as we can, and once we're done, we'll find our way out. And I promise I'll get you all out of you safely. As I said before,

the number of safety of all of you is my number one priority to begin with. And I guess all I ask Kana is, let's at least hear this person out. We don't know that they're responsible for anything that we might be presuming. I understand, listen, I can I, I, I can only imagine what would happen to the good doc and how I would feel about that. But let's just figure out what's going on here first before we assume anything. That's all I ask. Let's proceed with caution and don't let your guard down. Either way.

Is that amenable? It is, and I ask the same of all of you. I accept no funding from you or your university. I gave you my protection out of my own. Goodwill. I suggest we keep moving. If you want to stop and make sketches, that is fine, but we must not dilly-dally too much. We must keep our wits about us and be on guard. As long as we all remain on wash, this is a dangerous place. And just keep an eye out. And with the five of us, we should be just fine and perhaps with the protection of the countess

herself. Sorry, my friend. Are you going to be all right? I'm just watching it burns. As it's reducing down to embers, and it's kind of the tree is no more than a pile of glowing coals. Sarnet. Sarnet. Shepard. Yes, friend, are you all right?

I am just fine, my friend. Are you ready to proceed with the rest of us? I am indeed. I will take the back, keep eyes out behind us to ensure we are not followed. All right, we're trusting you, Sarnex. As I, you. You begin to make your way through the gate single file. The looming, yes.

As everyone else. You don't have to ask, you can just always do. Yeah, single file. I'm just going to say this now as they leave. We're heading out single file as the smoldering embers dissipate. And what is left are the charred remains on the fertile earth. I'm going to reach into my robes and stick my hand and meet it in pups that I've had. A large seed, black, horrible looking, with a series of doth that looks like almost like a wailing face.

And I'm going to step over to the patch of where, the tree and rot had burned, and I'm going to press it deep into the soil. Oh, see, not going to like that. Cover it up and pat it down. I'll stand up. No one seems to be following us, and I'm going to... With that, you press onward.

Flanked by the huge stone watchers frozen in their endless vigil, you pass through the moss-covered gates of Borovia into a large forested valley nestled between two mountains. winding through the rugged wilderness, you hear the distant howls of wolves as they stalk the night, almost welcoming you to this strange new land. The small dirt road that guides you deeper into the valley eventually brings you, finally, to civilization. You enter a quaint village of crooked wooden buildings with worn, chipped paint, tightly packed in their disrepair along narrow streets.

You search the town for any signs of life, someone, anyone, who might be able to tell you where you are, but at this time of night you do not see a single soul. In fact, beyond the dancing shadows cast by flickering street lamps, the town is as still and quiet as the grave. That is, until you see the darting movement of something small down a tree-lined pathway at the edge of town. You quickly follow it, wondering if your eyes are simply playing tricks until you hear the whimpering cries of a human voice and discover that the wooded lane leads to a lone four-story house. And standing on its steps are two children. You see a little girl in a drab plum dress holding the hand of an even smaller boy

who clutches a rag doll as he whimper softly, tears running down his face. As soon as the older child sees your approach, she looks at all of you with eyes filled with terror and says, There's a monster in our house! And that's where we'll end the session. Not an adventress anymore. Now that the expedition has finally arrived in my dark domain, the real fun can begin. They will regret sitting foot inside the day. death house. It has certainly earned its name. I will see you inside in the next chapter of

Curse of Stradania. In the meantime, if you wish to watch Legends of Adventress tell similar stories of Dungeons and Dragons every week, you can follow us on Twitch and join our community on Discord. All links are in the show notes. We welcome you to our Aventress family.