Legends of Avantris - Curse of Strahdanya | Ep. 43 | Blood Moon: Part 2

Episode Date: February 10, 2026

With the true enemy revealed, the Azran Expedition must race against time and their own minds to find the root of Barovia's corruption.   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/NnlQNXyvgxA?si=jRODTLS62YqrWlW7

You are back beneath a blood moon and listening to Karsus Trudanya, a legends of eventress podcast. Last time, I faced off against the Azran expedition for the final time, and the duel for our fates and the fate of all of Borovia began. The battle was brutal and bloody, but despite all of my power and the might of Castle Ravenloft in the Eldridge Pact I had made centuries ago, I was finally defeated. However, this time, my defeat.

The defeat ended in an explosion of primeval otherworldly power that instantly killed the entire expedition and ripped the souls from their bodies. From the crimson ooze that coated the room, an avatar of the entity known only as the blood queen took form. This cosmic horror, the true curse of Brovia, attempted to corrupt their souls and turn them into her heralds, until the foul ritual was interrupted by none other than Sergei. My brother called upon the morning lord to banish the eldritch entity from the room and resurrect all five of our protagonists. Despite my defeat, this is not over.

This episode is brought to you by our generous supporters on Patreon. We now also have a merch store where you can browse more than 20 amazing eventors theme designs. You can buy a shirt or become a Patreon yourself by following the link in the show notes. We are eternally grateful for your support. Now, let us proceed with part two of Chapter 21, Blood Moon. The five of you stand in the crumbled throne room, and you see that the throne room seems to have been purged of the vainy corruption.

However, the pulsing glow from the splintered doorway at the end of the hall shows that it is probably not for very long. Then you hear an exhausted sigh behind you, followed by the clanging of plate armor on stone, is Sergei falls to one knee, a single hand on the stone to support him as he breathes heavily. He looks like he spent every last bit of energy that he had. His cursed mortal wound appears to be healed, and you hear his voice as he struggles to catch his breath. Thank you, morning, Lord, but your radiant, sunrise. He breathes in and out as he looks out at all of you,

trying to regain some semblance of control. I'll immediately pick up my lantern and run over in him and try to give him a hand and lift him up. He'll reach him. up and he grabs your hand, he looks up to you, his eyes, dark circles beneath them, he looks wounded, or he doesn't look wounded, he looks healthy, but he looks tired, exhausted. Thank you, my friend, as you slowly pull him to his feet. That, that divine power, was that, was that him?

And was our morning lord. Yes, credible. I called to him, and he replied. I owe you many deaths, Sergey. Thank you. You pats you on the back. Did you all see the same thing I did? Incomprehensible eternity.

I don't even know how to put it towards what we saw. Ben, is nothing. Everything looked long. Do not think of it. Why would we think of it? I don't know how much my brain to take. I care not. I believe in the destructive power of fire and the renewal that it brings, but not from the sake of whatever. That is, and I'll point towards the tower.

Though it shrieked, turned away from the morning ward, I cannot know how long we have, and he points towards the door. Its hold on the castle is through. It is one with this entire place. while it breathes this castle will breathe we need to we need to make a choice and I am not strong enough to join you

on this journey I will you see for just a split second a look of disgust on his face but it is replaced by resolve and an understanding of what needs to be done there are many innocents still in Borovia

that need to be rescued and I do not think Escher alone will be able to fulfill the duty. I will join him. It is the least and the most

that I can do. You can't go. What will happen if that happens again? Upon my sister's death I could feel the blood curse ebb from me. It allowed me one moment

to speak to my God. I do not believe he will answer me again this day. If that happens again, not even he will be able to help you. But what, you're going to send us after that thing? I mean, how do we even hunt something like that? It's not a monster. It's, it's not a god. It's incomprehensible.

It is not a god, Jonah. Even though he is weak, he steps towards you quickly, and he grabs your hand in his. if there is anyone in this land or all lands that can cleanse Barovia of this curse, I know it to be you. The shepherd has found his flock. You know what you need to do to lead them home. I don't know.

Shepard, do not think about what you saw. I do not know what you saw, I hope. It was not as awful as what I saw. But we all saw the same thing. In the light of the divine, that creature shrieked and fled. Cowardly, I don't care where she is in this realm beyond the stars, it matters not. Scared? Yeah.

I liked it. I wanted it. Whatever it was doing to me, I couldn't have been more thrilled. I felt the same, Professor. I felt powerful. Yes. I could see what I'm capable of. I misheard.

The ultimate power. How can one reject such a thing? Whatever that thing is, she will not bring the glory that you seek. She will twist and warp your mind and force you to do unfathomable, unfathomable thing. I can't say that.

I can't do that in that voice, but you know what I'm trying to say. I've said a lot. Professor, you were not in your right, mine. I'm the humble. How could any of us be? I feel normal again, thanks to the morning Lord and Sergei. Thank you.

As I was on the verge, in that moment, I could see myself, my mortal coil, shattered below me. And I was okay with it. have a pleasant, multi-colored being I was becoming. What if I want it again? When the time comes, Professor, you will make

the right decision, won't you? Pray to Garrick's. He will shield you. I don't know, Sonax. I hope so. If you had the opportunity again, would you take it in your current mind? I don't know.

You must think on your intentions, Professor. We may all be hired colleagues. We have endured much, and so have the people of Barovia. Think of Arabel. Look of your daughter. Think of hope. Think of light and happiness.

And do not allow temptation to shroud your mind. Kona is right. Clayton. She will not give you what you want. She will use you as a pond is a tool or whatever her goal may be. It does not do you to think on what could have been or what could be,

but what needs to be done. Sarnet, you are like me. Yes. You saw what my God has done. I have. And I think you know what needs to be done. We must destroy the heart. That is where she is.

But I gave so much of myself, so much of my being, so much, almost all of it. And it did nothing to that heart. What if I am not as strong as you, Sergei? I believe my faith to be stronger than any. You see a tear rolled down his face. I am only here because in her final moments, my sister shielded me from the blast. when she turned her back on me and shown the light on you.

Are you saying that we were saved indirectly by the countess herself? Not you, with me. And then you saved us. As a relative quiet falls, you hear the faint sounds of labored, raspy breathing from beneath a pile of loose rubble in the corner of the hall. Sergei,

straightens himself as he looks towards an area of the throne room as the rubble begins to move. What is... I immediately try to run over to it. You ready? As the pieces of stone and glass and metal are pulled away, or pushed away, you see glimpses of pale skin marked with streaks of blood. After a minute of excavation, you see the broken form of Stradanya von Zaro It, shockingly, still drawing breath, but very clearly on the cusp of death.

Her body is riddled with the wounds you delivered in that brutal final battle. Her hair is tangled and matted in her own blood, and she's covered from head to toe in the ashy stone dust from the walls of her destroyed throne room. But her neck is bare. The choker that had once collared her is no more. The skin underneath is untouched, Christine, free. Gone are the sunken red eyes and bloody tears. as are the jarring veins and withered undead flesh. Her irises have returned to green,

but are different than you remember. They are brighter, like emeralds casting a distant stare. As she wheezes the trickle of blood running down a face with color returned to it. Her dry mouth hangs open, and within you see no fangs. Before you is no vampire, just a woman whose time has run out. She looks up at the night sky through the open holes in the crumbled sea, before her gaze slowly and painfully shifts to all of you. Shredanya simply takes in the sight of the five who finally killed her.

Then she speaks. I am truly no different than her. My hubris was my downfall. And so too shall it be hers. She looks between all of you. Her eyes heavy in her lids. I want to walk up to her, and I'll kneel down to her, holding the lantern over her head. How, Stradanya, how will it be her downfall?

She looks to you, and at first, as your eyes make contact, she almost shrinks away for a second, but the pain is too much. She meets your gaze. For the first time, not above you, not looming over you, but beneath you. And as she looks up to you, she says, the blood queen is far more powerful than anything I have known, you have known. And she knows it. Like I knew it in my undefath.

I allowed five mere mortals to let me fall at their blades, at their hands. She too will not expect you. She too will underestimate you. Her hubris will be her downfall. For how could a mortal defeat a power? She takes a gulp and you see more blood begin to spill from the sides of her mouth. She coughs it up, my sword. Take it. Shredonia raises a frail hand to point towards a pile of rubble nearby. From the convald stone protrudes the silver hilt of the Countess's blade. It's crossguard shaped like the raven from the sigil of the von Zarovich family.

Connor? You wish you to retrieve it? Yes, I do. Oh, immediately walk over to the rubble. Very gingerly pull it out. You retrieve the sword, and despite having been buried beneath the ruins of the ceiling, it's still somehow in pristine condition. The silver blade gleams with the foreboding reflection of the looming blood moon,

and as you hold it, you can feel power deep within. That blade was passed down to me by my father. Like my mother, he kept many secrets, but he whispered one to me on his deathbed. The sword he wielded was forged with the most ancient power in all of Avantris, the power of the prime ones, the powers of Striga, our homeland, the power of death itself.

He said it was a power harnessed by his secret order, strong enough to imprison and near forgotten God of entropy and madness. Then, despite the pain and weakness of her own lingering deathbed, you see the hint of a smirk creep to her brittle lips.

And it's the power that will lead to her downfall. But a sword. I brought down all of the divine fire I could muster, and a sword. Even in Chanted. Can it truly do what you say it, Ken?

In my prison of everlasting death, in her whispers, visions, and dreams, she told me much. She showed me much, too much. She is powerful, and she knows it. But that pride is her greatest weakness, when in her hubris she revealed to me that she hates and fears the power of the prime ones. usurpers and the impostors she calls them my single goal became discovering and harnessing the secrets of my father's sword and I succeeded a cough forces its way out of her mouth

but despite her frailty there's a mix of smug satisfaction and hateful retribution in her words Sklania she looks to you you and I we're not that different she lacks that you can you can hear the pain in it. This is vengeance.

I hope I do not go down your same path at all, stand. There is more that you must know. Souls have power. It is why she has kept this land hidden in the mist. Barovia was her prison, but also her sanctuary. Nine out of ten Barovians are born without souls, because she has already consumed. them. Growing in power year after year, decade after decade, century after century, biding her time

until tonight. Strudania attempts to raise an arm to gesture at the crimson moon above, but she winces in pain and her hand falls to the crumbled stone she rests on. But the remaining 10%, the souls killed by my hand, in my name, from the misery of this land, and of course all those have wandered here through the mist are in that sword. It's not much, but the power of Striga herself, it will be enough. The nature of my pact made me unable to ever raise my blade against her, but you can. Her eyes widened with a maddened exhaustion, and she gives you a desperate pleading luck. Plunge it deep into the heart of sorrow. My sorrow, and it will become vulnerable. destroy the heart and you destroy that abomination and then pray it's enough to send her back to the void from which she came

it is your only hope of leaving this place the only hope of saving the realms of the living and the dead her arrogance is your greatest advantage she comprehends all but cannot comprehend the mortal as a threat to her she knew my every move but was blind to my treachery she will not expect you to defeat her and that is exactly why you will. Stradanya's ragged breathing continues to slow. She extends her quivering hand towards Sergei, who immediately kneels and takes it.

Clasping it in his palms as he looks down at her with tears in his eyes. I am sorry, Sirgy, for becoming the monster or mother feared I would be here. But I do not ask your forgiveness. I do not seek redemption. There is no such thing

for me. I do not even seek justice. I only want vengeance. And although I have no right to ask, I have but one request. Leave me sitting on my throne, dear Sergei. Ravenloft is where I belong. It is what I deserve. Sergei gives her hand a squeeze. Think not of such things. He leans down and he slowly caresses her face. it is time for you to rest, sister. Sleep and be at peace. Stradanya's eyelids flutter and her soft, shallow breathing is no longer audible.

Her grip on this life is slipping away. Her weary head slowly turns to you, Victoria. She can only lift her finger to call you in close. I'll rush down and kind of put her head into my lap and the altar. Victoria. My love, she reaches up her frail hand. You can see where the skin is beginning to wither, and though she does not age, you can see that she is dying.

Thank you. You're going, and I'm so sorry. I can never say sorry enough for what I've done to you, for breaking your heart. I don't wish to leave you like this, but know that of all my life, you are the first, the only to see me for who I am, my wickedness and my life, and to accept me and to love me for both. And I will never forget you. Shredanya gazes into your indigo eyes as hers lose focus

and her gentle hold on you releases. I feel warm. One last breath, as soft as the light of a Crescent moon escapes her lips as she steals. The long, cruel, sorrowful life, Stradanya von Zarovich is finally over. I will be dead. Kiss her of the lips. Sergei stands over you as he allows you to cry over the now dead body of Stradanya von Zarovic. And as you move away, he scoops her up effortlessly, easily. As he slowly holds her in his arms, her body limp so small.

in this moment, far smaller than you've ever seen it before. As he carries her, the sound of his steel boots clanging against the stone of the ruined throne room, as he places her limp, lifeless body to throw in Castle Ravenloft. He kneels down, clutching onto her hand as he weeps. She have done terrible things, evil things, unforbivable things. But no matter the nature and the depth of that evil, in the light of the divine, all can be redeemed. All can find salvation. I pray, I say one prayer for the dying, and I hope that wherever she is, perhaps with time, her soul may no rest.

She never had a chance. Look at her body. You've never had a chance. We know this. Despite your agency, you did do terrible things. And so have I. I hope that I do not end up like you.

But this lamb has made me believe that I will. So I will let you be an inspiration to me. I will not hold any hate. And I hope you rest. Professor. Your fear is well-founded, but there is something that you have that she doesn't. Time. There is time to change your fate and change your destiny.

Do not go down that path. Claw your agency back, whatever it takes. You're right. I have time. I may be damned. My family may be damned, but there's time. I can figure this out. I think breaks the curse.

What am I saying? I'm Professor Clayton Azra. Top archaeologists in Salary University. It's been my life's work to discover this place. And here we are. At the end. Am I right? At the end.

Together. All still drawing breaths. We can do this. We. We can defeat to a vile creature is in that tower. If we work together, I have control over the arcane. A powerful divination wizard. What am I doing?

Fate is on our side, is it not? I will steal myself. Thank you, Shredaana. Thank you. Anima, and I will use an eighth-level spell slot. and on my forehead an eye will open and blow

as I cast mind blank on myself which I'll read erases all of your memories to think until the spell ends the last 24 hours I'm immune to psychic damage any effect that would sense emotions or read my thoughts divination spells and the charm condition

even spells or the spell even foils which spells and spells or effects of similar power used to affect the targets minor to gain information about the target. Okay. Yes. That is the fire that I have seen in Professor Clayton Azran of Miss Hallory University. We all have a fire within us.

Let us ignite it and consume that blood queen in it. It matters not. I've been saying it since we came here. I care not where she comes from. They all burn all the same. Then I'll suddenly calm and I'll walk over to Victoria. I'm going to extend my hand and try to grab one of your hands and mine if you'll allow me. You deserve to grieve.

You have every right, Victoria. I have derided you every step of the way for your feelings. But I am not one to judge. They do not understand such things. although now I believe I am beginning to perhaps too late but your strength in the midst of all this

will be what we anchor our whole point I think it's just never too late never one more will die to death and it will be her and I'll point up towards the tower exactly Sergei Ryans

and lets his sister's hand drop you see as he turns and steals himself as he looks out the windows towards the balcony to the blood moon in the sky it can stand here no longer and he begins to march and move towards the open doors as he makes his way out onto the balcony you hear a sharp intake of breath you might want to come look at this oh no I'll I'll follow you're going to You stand on the balcony and look down to the valley far below and you see the culmination of the Blood Queen's plans

From the stones of Castle Ravenloff's foundations The veins of Eldritch corruption That run through the castle And now extending out to the land all around you They light up the dark ravines With an awful crimson glow As they pulse with the rhythm of a frantic heartbeat Snaking and slithering

Deeper into Borovia and toward the mist beyond. All of the land that they creep into becomes immediately corrupted into twisted, abominable, fleshy reflections of the blood queen. And now you notice that gray mist that had perpetually surrounded

and shrouded Barovia has turned to a blood red and has thinned considerably as it shifts and moves drifting past Barovia's borders. And for the first time, since entering this cursed land, you can finally see past these borders into the realms beyond.

It is not the familiar sight of Strzsche. of a mantras, of the world you came here from, but a bleak land of grays, blacks, and white, and completely devoid of all color. The landscape you can see is jagged, barren, and desolate, dominated by spiraling crags with forlorn peaks and plummeting gorges filled with inky abyss. The shadow fell surrounds Borovia,

and the ever-creeping veins and mists of blood now threatened to invade the plain of shadow and death. You look around the throne room, You see the tendrils begin to spread, the veins beginning to reappear and pump. Time is running out. We need to go. This is the shadow fell. What?

She's done it. Shadow fell in the realm of death. I spent much of my career studying it. She's broken the walls around Borovia. She can now infect everything. The visions we've seen are coming true. So has she broken into the material plane? No, not yet, but she will.

If we don't stop her, the visions, if they are true, and I believe they are, she'll stalk the shadow fell, but nothing will stop her from the rest of reality. So we must go now, Kana, you have Shodanya's sword. You are the only one cut out to wield it. when the time comes there will be an opportune moment please use it I promise I will

I'll do it right it's right and I don't know what this thing is I've never seen anything like this before in my entire life and I probably never will again there's a very good chance that nothing we do to this queen is gonna do anything all we can try to do is

make sure no matter what happens with your dying breath you get that fucking sword into the fucking heart That's all we got. It's the only chance we have. I give you my breath. All right. You've seen terrible things in the heart.

I can't fathom what we will face with the blood queen there as well. We need to steal ourselves. Understand? Yes. I was born all of you. I am the only one fit to wield us. And if time comes and you have a chance to leave,

leave me with the heart. No, Kana, we will never leave you. We are here together. You are the Asran expedition. We stand together. We die together, if need be. And we get out of here together. And I will do whatever it takes to make sure all of you make it out.

Including yourself, Kana. You are young. You have a life ahead of you. You will not fall here. We need together. or not at all? Yes. No.

And Shepard? Yeah. How are you feeling? Jeez, I don't know. I mean, I feel fine. Oh, I don't want to. Garrix keep me close. Give me the strength I need here.

Does what you saw in her visions, does it give you doubt in your faith? Does it shake you? Do you doubt the power of Garrix? No. No, I don't. I don't doubt Garrick's at all. I don't. Do you doubt yourself? Yeah, of course.

If you do not doubt Garrix, why in your right mind would you doubt yourself? It was Garrix, the fire lord, that chose you to be the shepherd. You are here in his light. You wield his flame in your pistols. Do not doubt yourself, Shepherd. We all have a flame within us, but none as more wild than you. Yours is the strongest of all of us. We will anchor our hope onto Victoria's love and her courage.

But your fury will guide us to victory. We're almost down. Almost. To not doubt yourself. Thank you. You're welcome, Shepherd. I will look at Sarghan. He's still there?

Yes. Seergan. You should go. Get everyone out. Try to save as many as you can and get them in the hell away from whatever the hell that red blood shit is. I'll look at Shredana.

I'll turn to everyone else. As we're an expedition, let's end this for good. Yes, Professor. So lead the way, son acts like his path. I always do. Sergei turns in almost a golden light as he begins to move towards the exit of the room to leave. But he quickly spins on his heels.

The morning lord spoke to me one more. Words of advice, and I nearly forgot. He told me to lift the veil and face what's beneath. steal your mind and drive forward. I do not know what this means, but I hope that you will come to. Goodbye, friends, and good luck. Thank you, Simeon.

Thank you, Sareg. And I'll stop him. And I'll kind of like avoid the gaze of everyone else. And as I look up and I'll say, it was the morning lord's intervention that brought us back. that was the power that she shrieked away from. Is that right?

He looks at you and he stares deep into your eyes. It was the power of the divine. Yes. Thank you, Sergei. He clasps his hand on your shoulder. I believe in you. I believe in all of you. And he turns on his heel and he marches from the room.

Oliver Shepherd. and I will set out towards, this is the same tower that we went to before, right? Do I feel like I'd be able to find my way up there? Yes. All right, then I start heading and leading the gang. The five of you begin your final race to the heart of sorrow to stop the Blood Queen's Eldridge machinations.

I need everyone to roll for initiative. Oh, my God. Let's go. I'm so not ready. It's a natural fucking 20th, but I'm going to, I'm just going to let you guys. Hey! No way! You're getting a lot of 20s tonight.

I know, I'm on fucking part. I'm just sitting on that side of the table. You probably got like magnets. I'm 20 and 25. I got a 25. 22? Ooh, I got higher than that. 20, 24.

Victoria and Sir Nets. I got a 7. 15! I'm not left. I am lighting the path from behind. It is deliberate. It is deliberate. And I am also.

This path gives me pause. I was almost knocked off of a bridge here. Oh, yes, I lost a nail here. Smacked my head onto the stone. I am being overly cautious. You'll have to forgive me. Following Shepherd's sense of direction, for better or worse,

you start your journey through Ravenloft, just the pounding of heartbeats, thunders through the entire castle. The glow of pulsing crimson veins in the stone surround you, as you see now that the castle is truly, alive. A horrific wriggling skin has begun to emerge from the stone of the castle, marked with bulging growths, malformed tumors, bloated boils, and other protruding nodules of unthinkable

squishy flesh. The rooms and corridors themselves seem to stretch and contort in ways that should not be physically possible. Maddening phantom figures and scenes appear and vanish on the walls around you. And throughout the ancient halls, beneath the overture of the pounding heartbeat, you hear a low, guttural whispering. You all turned the first room on the direct route to the heart chamber, Ravenloss's armory. As soon

as all of you enter, you hear the slimy wriggling of tentacles behind you and you realize that a thick barrier of pulsing white flesh is formed in the doorway sealing you inside. Within the armory, rows of weapons and armor flank you and several target dummies stand bent amongst

the putrid growths that the room is teeming with. Then you see at the far end of the room where had once been an open door is now a writhing mass of fleshy, mucasy, bloody tendrils. They writhes together for just a moment before slinking back into the taut skin that stretches over the stone of Ravenloft. And in their place is the aberration you've seen form once before. Sickeningly attached to the frame of the door as a manifestation of the blood queen, her squirming grub-like flesh creating a foul seal.

Then you all hear the same feminine voice, but not with your ears. the voice forms in your mind as you are spoken to telepathically. It is you, murderer, who have brought great shame and dishonor to us all. Banishment is too good for you. You betray your

code like you betrayed your master. Please place the Blood Queen at the very end of that room. Oh, she is foul. Oh, my God. That is horrible. What in the hell? And disgusting. So where is...

So there are two doors, the one that you entered in, and the one on the opposite end. The one that you entered in is now covered with skin. The one on the opposite end, she is a part of and covering your exit. Oh, and then Rich, I color-coded things if you could place the minis on there based on the color code. What is this nonsense? It's going down. I don't know what these are. These are beautiful pieces.

Oh my god. Ew. That's disgusting. It's nasty. I know it's not real and I'm still fucking grew still. Oh my God. Just like aberrations? Once again, I will read what she says.

It is you, murderer, who have brought great shame and dishonor to us all. Banishment is too good for you. You betray your code like you betrayed your master. The voice in your head. is unfamiliar to all of you. All but one. Kana, you clearly recognize the voice of great Lady Oshy, the Onondymia you served in Usagi, the woman who accused you of murdering your own master and who banished you from your home. It's in that moment you realize reality is warping. You still stand amongst the armaments of Ravenloft, but the walls show glimpses of a forest

withered cherry blossoms and a coursing river on the floor below, but is not clean, pure water. It is fouled with the sickly color of brownish yellow. As you all attempt to maintain your grip on reality and press forward on your path, simply being in this room and in the abomination's presence makes you feel this sickening sensation. You all first felt when the blood queen drove her tendrils into your souls. It's unmistakable. Her corruption begins to spread through you once more. You all take one stack of corruption of the elder evils.

What that entails is, Okay. You are afflicted by one stack of the corruption of the elder evils. If you attempt to move more than 30 feet on a single turn, there are effects that will happen. And so I want you to pay attention to how this works, because at the end of this room, I will be giving you a cheat sheet, and I will need you to manage your corruptions going forward. Okay. So, now that you've entered this room, you all immediately take one level of corruption of the elder evils. we do go in initiative round.

Shepherd, you are first. You may place yourself in one of the empty squares and the entrance of the room and let me know what you were going to do. Here, probably here, right? So anywhere that has a dot, when you land on a square that has a dot, or you step into a square that has a dot,

I need you to tell me what color you're stepping on. We should probably all be in the room, right? No, I think you're saying, I will put you in, you will put yourself in the room on your turn. Okay. All right. Am I able to see the Blood Queen from where I currently am?

Yes. And I know that's the exit? Yes. And is this to scale? Yes. Okay. I think that I would just, I mean, like, I'm trying to wrap my head around. I think I would just go for her.

I think I would just be like, fuck it. Like, that's our way out. And I would use my bonus action, the Slayers pray her and make two attacks. Okay. and probably move a little bit closer. One, two, three, four. Yeah, I'll move one, two, three, four there. And fire two attacks.

Are you on? Have you passed through any color? I'm going through two blue dots, light blue dots. As you move through the room, it's almost as if the castle malforms. In one blink, it's Castle Ravenloft. In the other, you're in a beautiful yet putrid valley. and as you move past this bioluminescent growth, I need you to make a Christm saving throw from you, please.

Oh, that's not good. Yikes. 15. You are now, you find yourself under the effect of the confusion spell. It does not function like a spell. It's just what it does. All right. I need you to roll a D10, please.

Okay. Yeah. Six. You do not move or take any actions this turn. You are frozen. in place as this bioluminescent growth begins to shift ever-changing colors. You stare into the colors unknown.

You are so focused on the growth in front of you. You are unable to move forward. So then I would have just been on the first blue dot I would land it on. Okay. Okay. So then I don't, that's just my turn, then I'm done. I'm going to look up the confusion spell while. There, great else goes.

Shepherd, keep going. What are you doing? Seeing that Shepherd is sort of frozen and confused, I'm going to go this way. By the gods, what is this? I'm going to go this way. And you're this feller. What color? Green, sorry. As you begin to move towards Shepherd, the room itself morphs around you, the tentacular cyst next to you,

lashes out. I need you to make a strength saving throw, please. Oh, God. That's where you're not a Viking. I'm not a Viking at all. Well, I roll the 19, but I think I only add to add one, so it's a 20. That is not enough. You are going to take 10 points of bludgeoning damage

as the tentacular cyst swipes at you. And you are restrained. You also gain another stack of bloody corruption. So I would have two years. Oh, and Andy, you also have another stack of bloody corruption. I will let you know what happens when you get to a point where your corruption changes. Is bloody corruption different than when you entered into the room, you got bloody corruption, which means that things will happen if you attempt to move more than 30 feet.

Okay. I felt that was called super different. Sorry. Now is Clayton's turn. Ravenloft. Oh no. All around you, the armory morphs into the strange vision created by Kana's memory, Kana herself, the blood queen.

It's hard to tell. But as what used to be target dummies, lunge towards you, they do not look like target dummies at all, but samurai as well, I need you all to make a strength saving threat. Even if we're not like everyone. one in the room. Natural 20. Got us twice. I failed. Fireman. 19. 21.

Our strength you sit? Yes. The D.C.s are 21. Passed. I passed. I would never pass those. So I'm just gone. I fail. I'm going to take my fail.

Anyone who fails, you are going to take 11 points of slashing damage and you are an opt-brown. Jesus. Yikes. His Ravenloft lashes out around Ducon. see these visions around me I guess my hallucinating like the floor and the walls and everything

like everything around you is hallucinating and morphing it's hard to tell between what is Ravenloft and what is this horrific vision that is being posed on all of you as Ravenloft itself is of the Blood Queen and the Blood Queen. And the Blood Queen is flickering back and forth between Lady Oshie and like her true form

or am I seeing Lady Oshie? Standing in front of you is what appears to be the blood queen. Or a manifestation of the blood queen. But you all hear Lady Oshy's voice coming from her. The rest of the group does not recognize Lady Oshy because they don't know her, but you recognize the voice. I wasn't sure if she was hallucinating her in the corner.

No. I'm going to step in, looking around, narrowly dodging the samurai, I'm able to kind of shrug them off and they disappear in front of me. And I, what is this madness? Why am I hearing a voice in my head? Did you hear that too? Yes, who is that?

You all hear, no shit. I'm off the ground. Oh. Sorry, next. Uh, I guess you're prone outside the room. Um, she, wrongfully accused me of murdering my master, but you've all met him. what, I don't know what the meaning of this is. And I'm going to walk in,

seeing you're both confused. I'm extremely confused. I'm extremely confused. I'm like tied up in tentacles and print. And I couldn't take any actions or root. I'm just kind of like, I'm going to move here and try to attack the tentacles to release their hold on the,

on a professor. Okay, roll to attack. That's what would be. Four attack. Wow. Wow, those are two 20s. Those are two natural times. Oh, God, everybody.

Gird your loins. Holy hell. Natural fucking 20. And a natural fucking 20. Two 90-20 is one in 400 chance. Holy fuck. Oh, my God. No, said, Jeff is confused.

Just give me the full amount of damage for both of them. Okay. As you slice into them one after the next. Yes, they're natural. 29. That's for both crits. Mm-hmm. I need you to take 29 points of psychic damage.

As you let your blade loose into this thing, one attack after the other, it is almost as if no damage is taken by this thing at all. This castle is of her, and you are of her too, as you take the damage instead. What the, what is it? On my brain.

Jesus. Sorry, Maya, love you. Mickey loves you. The Blood Queen doesn't. I've got two more attacks. Well, hopefully you'll learn your lesson. Please, don't use them. I implore you.

Ah, shit. I got him. I just got. Are we, like, seeing this? Are we seeing her attack and then, like, be hurt? Yes. Easily. You watch as she lets loose two attacks simultaneously,

and then immediately reach up to her head as the psychic damage overcomes her. The pain's only affecting her, right? Only affecting con. I'm going to stumble back and still trying to maintain a grip on my naggingata. I'm going to whip around to the Sarnax on the ground in Victoria. Whatever you do, I don't think you're supposed to attack whatever this is. God, that's hurt. And I will bonus action, nothing, because I will just, yeah, I'll be my turn.

Are you stopping on a color? Nope. No, no. Okay. So I will come in to the room and these have the movements

you only have 15 feet. Yeah, so I don't know if that's five, it's 15, I guess. I will just move up here and heating Kana's warning. I will try to you know, shake Shepard and snap out of it. What's wrong with you?

What? Uh-huh. That's your action? What color? are you ending on? None. She's on these, like, boxes over here. I'm kind of... It's just like dots, right? Yeah, just the dots.

Yeah. Okay. The, it is the Blood Queen. The Blood Queen is going to look up at you, Kana. The veil over her face, completely shrouding who resides beneath, but you hear

you hear the familiar voice once again. If he had died here, it would have been all your fault. You should be ashamed for the dishonor that you have brought to everyone, to him, to us, but most of all, to you. And she is going to, she is going to erupt into mind-bend, or the room itself is going to erupt into mind-bending tentacles. as tentacles emerge from the flesh on the walls and lash out an attempt to attach to the heads

of all of you in the room. I need you all to roll a dexterity saving throw. Good at that. DC 21. I pass. 28. Oh, should I twist too? I got a six.

Yeah, let me twist. We have a lot of twists. Thank you all. We're going to be using a lot of fucking twist here. I just can't. I'm not going to be able to. Barely passed. I'm not going to be able to pass it.

What's the DC? 21. Oh, no. I got 16. I got exactly a 21. Anyone who failed is going to take 16 points of psychic damage and one more level, one more stack of corruption. Anyone who passes will take half the damage

and no corruption. Okay, so let's have one. What's the second level, like, the first one's movement? So, once you get, if you get to five level of corruption, let me know. It's just psychic damage, right? It was just psychic damage. I know, I know. Wow, you really used your foresight.

I'm immune. You're immune to psychic damage? Because of this thing he did. Because of my mind blank. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, that was the queen, Sarnax. I am going to keep myself up off the ground and I guess start here.

And I will look around and say, what are you all doing? What is real? We must proceed. Sergei said nowhere but forward. Keep moving forward. And I am going to attempt to, I guess, ah, Jesus Christ, I don't want to,

that's a really long way about, I guess I can only move 15 feet. So I'm just going to move this way. And hopefully everyone gets the fuck out of my way. That's it. You can pass through friendlies. Are you? I don't know about speed.

Anything? No color, yeah. Basically Clayton and Shepherd Block the entire thing up. I'm going to look at the streaming lizard next to me, and just kind of... Oh, I need you to roll a D10. Yeah. I'm going to look at the screaming lizard next. I mean, you just kind of look at him. I'd be like,

has anyone really been so far even has decided to even use Go More do look more lack. Shepherd! Learned you well! Shepherd! What's the wrong with him? I got a six again, so I can't do anything. That's mine. But it ends at the very end of it as you feel yourself coming to.

Oh, fuck. What in the... Hell. Shepard. You do, don't attack the things around you. Get off me! I will use my bonus action to Misty Step as far as I can. Let's try it, see what happens. What's as far as you can?

It's a 30-foot range. Okay. Can you that? You attempt to Misty Step, but you do not move anywhere. You know that teleportation and things of those nature had been blocked in Barovia. before, but with Stradanya's death, that should have gone away. Except this castle is of her, and you play by her rules. I can't even telephone out of him.

No, you can't. I was try it, though. I guess I'll try to get out of the tentacles. I'll stand up, right? If I can, while I'm restrained. What's your decks like? Because if you're just grappled or whatever, and then it's also acrobatics to get out.

Is it like a rules as written... There is an escape DC that you can attempt to use to get out of the tentacular cyst. Can I use decks instead of strength? Yeah. I fucking love it. Okay, so I'm not as fucked as I thought I was.

So acrobatics... I'm not good. A couple of me. Can I twist that? Yep. You're probably going to need to twist a lot of things. I'm getting missed. Two ones and a seven.

That's a 12. You are unable to escape from the cyst. Ravenloft. Perfect. Once again. Once again, the room attacks back as the water beneath your feet. As the water beneath your feet. feet boils with pestilence.

I need you all to make a strength saving throw. Oh, no. I think. What's the DC? I fail. I fail. Fail. 27.

Anyone who fails is going to take 13 points of slashing damage and is not prone. See? Yeah, we're not going to make it out of this room. Oh, shit. I don't think we're going to make it through this room. I think that, yeah. But we can go past our allies now, but I'm prone now.

So it's Conistern, right? Yes, it's Conno's turn. Do I take half damage? No, you do not take half damage. For that, you just, either you fail or you pass. I'm going to look down at the sword that I have, I guess I've been using my Naginata, kind of forgetting that I had Sredaña's sword in my hand.

I'm going to pull it out. I'm going to see if it does anything, like if it's reacting at all to me. the area around me? It doesn't seem to be reacting to the area around you. Okay. You can definitely tell it's magical, it's powerful, but it doesn't seem to have any additional effect by being in this room.

Okay. I'm going to, teeting Sarnax's words to press forward and see that we're not making much room. I'm going to try and slip between Shepard and the professor and make my way on two. So this is 510, 15, so now I'm on green. just tell me where you end

20, 25, 30. So now I'm on purple. I need you to make an intelligent saving throw, DC-21. The mind-bending tumor before you begins to warp and shape your mind as you get into the area around it.

It's gibbering madness. Is it gibbering or gibbering? Gibbering. Givering. He told me. I asked him before, and he told me what it was. Jibbering madness. madness emanates out from it. What did you get?

I got a seven, but my int plus three is, my in savings was a plus three. I don't know I should twist it. I mean, you did rule like 18? Yeah. Yeah. I don't think so. All right, I'll ride with it. You feel the blood queen come over you. As her veiled face turns towards you, you are shameful and you should run. And you are dominated by the blood point until the end of your next turn

as she forces you to move towards the entrance of the room. So you just... My action to run back? Yep. You gotta get out immediately. This isn't the place for us to be. And as you move more than the 30 feet allotted, that would be here.

The elder evils grasp on your body. is tentacles begin to grasp at you. And they will actually, so you had moved 30 feet. Yeah. So you will be able to move five feet before the tentacles hold you in place. So they aren't able to get you further away than that. Okay. Oh.

And I'm guessing I take another corruption staff. Oh, right. Yes. Everyone else? No, just kind of. Okay. And so the tentacles are now holding me in place. Yes, the tentacles had grasped, ended your movement.

We gotta get out of here. This is no place for us. As I'm dominated and consumed with Matt. What's come over? You know? Forward. Victoria. So I would stand up and to move forward, is it like 5, 10, 15? Yeah, basically got to land there. So I would stand up from my prune state and move forward,

pushing by Shepard and landing on blue. I need you to make a charisma saving throw as the bioluminescent growth begins to flicker with multi-colored lights, so vibrant, so beautiful, so brilliant that your mind can't fully comprehend them. Can I actually twist this one? Because this is one of the ones that I could possibly...

Yeah, yeah, you could definitely do that. Nice. 29. Big roll. You are able to shrug off the effect of this bioluminescent growth. And that ends your turn. Can I take it?

Unless you, yeah, unless you want to do something. How far away is she? You've been raising your spells, yep. I'm going to have to try to do something. I am going to... Just kind of almost tentatively, I'm going to hold up my hand and shoot a bolt of dark magic out at the blood queen. 20.

I've actually not used this before. So it's four beams. How does that work? Elders Blast. Yeah. It's four attacks. So you can choose, if you want to pump all the beams into her, you just roll four or four attacks.

Okay. Because they exit simultaneously. So you can choose where they're going. So the first one would hit and then I roll four times. I would just go. Yeah, roll four times. Okay. So one will hit 27.

Two will hit. Natural 20. Oh, nice. Keep a note on that. and 27. So all four will hit and one will crit. Dang. You double the dice on that third one.

Yeah. Okay. So it's 1D10. So it's 5D10. You need a D10. Because you roll double damage on the one that crit. So it's 5D10. Is it plus 22 or does it?

Plus your charisma? Does it add your charisma or no. On a hit, target takes 1D10. No, no, no. It's a warlock thing. Oh, it's a warlock thing. So do I roll five or do I double? You roll on the dice.

You roll on the ice. Very nice. Vango. This is the first time using Eldridge Blast? Yeah, I've never used it before. Wow. So that's 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, wait, 17, 18, 22, 27, 29.

Good hit. Good hit. 29, force damage to the blood queen. As you let loose your Eldridge Blast, one, two, three, four, they enter out into the room and bend back and hit you square in the chest, in the stomach, in the legs, in the side of your face, you will take that amount of damage in psychic damage.

Oh, my God. What do we do? Forward. Forward. They've had back. She's crazy. And with that, it is the Blood Queen's turn. She, you watch as her head moves towards you, once again, directing on Kana.

aesthetic, a waste of a valuable master's time on something so worthless, so small as you. As she casts madness of the blood queen. I need everyone to roll wisdom saving. Oh, that's where we're Vikings. You're advantage of me. Maybe me.

Oh, 21. 25. I got a 17. I don't know if it's going to be enough. No. I got a 22. 25. DC is 21. Yeah, me.

Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. I beat. I'm beating it. So anyone who succeeds takes half damage but no corruption.

Anyone who failed, you take one corruption. And I also need to do the damage. Oh, no, no, no. Sorry. I'm lying. I'm looking at the wrong one. You still take the corruption thing is still true. Okay. So I'm sorry about corruption?

So one corruption to those who failed. No corruption to those who succeeded. Anyone who failed, I need to roll these six for me, please. Uh-oh. Six. Also six. Someone roll again. Three.

Victoria, you're overcome with hemophobia. You were overwhelmed by the fear of blood, and you are so frightened. You must use your action to flee away from the blood queen. I don't think I have any movement. Did I just die? Use your next action. You don't do it now.

Okay, so you're just next action. You cannot be forward. You got a six? I got a six. You feel your mind breaking under the taunts. The evil words that she is spewing at you. You fear you're not going to be able to accept the reality that is presented to you. Peaceful blackness is the only escape.

You fall unconscious. Sweet, slow. Take you. Take you. 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. I am going to stand up.

If I have 15 movement, can I move here or no? You should be able to move through us, right? I will say for the sake of this going forward, you can move through each other, and I won't be difficult to rain. Okay. It won't be difficult for in? No. Okay. So I am going to stand up.

Otherwise you're never getting out of them. We must move forward. And I'm going to walk through. I've walked through blue. It's where you, I'm, it's where you live. Okay. Where you like. And I'm going to use my action and just shove the shit out of Kana.

Kana, wake up. Wake up. We must go forward. And that is, you wake up, Kana. Huh? Am I still dominated? You are not. What happened?

Why am I out of the ground? Get up, Kana. Yes. Okay. Move forward. Okay. Shepherd. I use half my movement to stand up, losing me 15.

I gave my action to dash. So I can move the. 30, 510, 15, 20, 510, 15, 20, 25, 30. I'm going to end up purple over here. You're ending on purple. The mind-bending tumor before you is going to lash out at you. Once again, the gibbering noises causing you to lose focus and focus on only this one thing in front of you.

I need an intelligence saving throw. Intelligent. You feel the blood queen overcome you. Your mind is no longer your own. She is going to attempt to move you towards the door, so you will move five feet towards the door, and then you will be held in place. Does someone say they got five corruption, by the way?

No. I'm at four. I finished the last word. So that matters. Perfect. Thank you. Clayton. I will use my action to attempt to get out of these tentacles with an acrobatics check.

Twist the shit if you fail. May I twist? Twist. I got to use a different. I haven't rolled my good D20 all night. There we go. That is a 22. That passes.

You are able to rip yourself free of the tentacles that hold you in place. We need to go. Oh, not sure. Running. one I have to stand up yep one

two three and a half right here right but that's your team in what color I'm not on my color okay and it is

Ravenlaw the room around you twists as the cherry blossoms turn to blades and begin to slice into your bodies I need you all to roll of strength saving

I can't I don't know what I like roll it's a natural I can only succeed. It's a natural 20. That's how I move in. I can't pass a curve model.

This room's going to kill me. Yeah, I fail. I definitely feel. 19 points of slashing damage and not prone if you fail. Great. Amazing. Nothing if you suits. Nothing if you. No more corruption?

No, the Ravenloft does not add corruption. It is the tentacle things and potentially the blood queen. Oh, so if I failed this one, Do I get corruption? The one that I was just on? So it's those, the little dots that you're on, that causes the corruption stacks. The Castle Ravenloft attacking you does not.

Okay, I'm afraid. Me failing to get out last round, did that cause a corruption or since I was already wrecked? Did that cause a corruption? No, you fail saving throw, you just failed an ability check. Yes, I should be escaped. Yeah, so it would not.

Connor, I'm gonna use five feet of movement to stand up because I've athletes. Oh my God. Your athletes be shi be shiots. I finally came in. I'm glaring past Shepard and the professor right at the veil of the blood queen

and I will whisper to myself. I have no failure to my master. I did everything I could to protect him and he is alive because of us. You know nothing. Nothing of my pain. And I will try to get closer to her as quickly as I can. So five,

10. Sorry. 10? I'm not doing moving. movement. You can move through people freely. I use five feet to stand up. Oh, gotcha. So 10, 15, 20, 25, 30.

And I end on green. Is the penalty for moving 30 or more than 30? More than 30. The tentacular cysts reaches out towards you. I need you to make a strength saving throw is it lashes out and it attempts to slam into you and restrain it.

You should get it. 22. Bingo. You pass. Get out of my way. It is unable to affect you. Okay, okay. And with that?

Victoria. So I am still trying to run from the Blood Queen. I have to stand up. So half my movement and then... I can't really tell you. Five, ten, fifteen. No color. Perfect.

And I guess do I roll to see if I'm... Yes. What is it again? DC 20. I thought it was to the end of your next time. Oh, no, yeah, you're right. It's until the end of your next time. Yeah, that's what it was for.

Oh, so it just goes for Kana too. Yes. It just goes to why. So now you are no longer, thank you, Mike. What am I doing? And I'll turn around and face the room. The Blood Queen is going to raise her arm. She looks out at all of you.

Once again, her face shrouded beneath the veil turns towards Kana. Beneaths Blood Moose. Blood Moon, waxing moon, waning moon, or full, you will always be aesthetic. And she is going to call Blood Moon rising into the room as a horrible crimson light of the Blood Moon erupts from the Blood Queen's

aspect. I need you all to roll a Constitution saving throw for me. Oh, my God. Oh, boy. No, 13. I'm going to twist it. I think I think I think I get an 18 or higher, so. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. That's better. 27. 22. I'm rolandoxia.

Thank you, chat. Thank you, chat. Anyone who fails, you are unable to regain hit points until the end of the blood queens next turn and you gain one stack of corruption. Okay. Oh, I gained a stack of corruption

being in the green, so I'm at five. No, you weren't, you only didn't fail. No, you didn't fail. Sorry? Sorry? Thank you. Oh, it's my turn. Uh, I'm going to, I'm not prone, so I'm going to, uh, I'm going to use my action to dash so I can move 30 feet. I'm going to stand and I'll, uh, I'll just keep thinking of the words of Sayerge, move forward, move forward.

Face what comes. And I will just try to move 30 feet this way, past Jeopard and Clayton. So, uh, one, what is that, one and a half? One and a half. Three. Three. Okay. And then four, five, six. You're good. I'm not, I don't, I don't, I don't, I'm not, I don't. anything. No color. Perfect. Okay. Shep, Shepard. I use half my movement to stand up, and I'd also like the dash for 30. 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30. White. Ooh, that one, yeah. Now we haven't. Vaparous abscess begins, begins to rain acid mist out around, around it as it bubbles, gurgles, and pops. I need you to make a couple. Constitution saving throw for me, please.

Oh, I'm toast. This is not good. You're not good with Con. You're only plus three. Oh, wow. I'm not proficient. Rangers aren't proficient. Not according to Dean Debian. Hey, I hit it. 21. Oh. Hey, hey. You do not.

You do not take any damage. You are not blinded. No corruption. And you do not take any corruption. Good, because I'd be a five. Yikes. Awesome. Three at 20.

Professor. Clinton. I'm not knocked down, so I have 30 feet of movement. Back it up again. I was going to say the same. They never going to keep you down. I get knocked down. Three and a half, four and a half, five, six.

Go blue. Well, if blue foxy then don't do it. I don't even know what, I don't know. I'm just going forward. I want to go forward. White. I need to make a Constitution saving throw. The abscess begins to bubble and pop again is more

acrid acid mist begins to spill out from the deep recesses of this of this thing. What makes me? Do you have a lot enough? Just keep twisting. I would like to think. If there's a chance you can pass it, then twist. Yeah, if it's like a super, you know, you have to get a mag 20, like don't, you know. Yeah, I need to get a, yeah, I need like a 10. 11. Yeah. That's, one more twist. One more twice. Do you use a goodness? I don't know. I feel like we have a lot, right? Right, chap, this is, we're going. I feel like we're burning through them, but yeah. I don't. Okay. Okay. Okay.

I'm good. I'll take it. Okay, give me a moment. Fate wants me to fuck. I roll a two-fives and a set. Sometimes it's not in the base. Yeah, yeah, that's how it rolls. Okay. You are going to take, you're going to take one level of corruption,

and you are also going to take 16 points of acid damage, and you are blinded. Until the end of your next turn. What's wrong with him? No. I can't see. You can't ask you to burn my eyes. Holy fuck. Ravenlaw.

Can I use a bonus action to down my potion? Yeah. Oh, you can. You can't hear. Oh, yeah. Did you succeed? No, no. Yeah.

You're good then. Okay, so I'll roll the dice. Continue. I'm going to do that. The room morphs and moves around you. The samurai move to attack. And as you feel, their blades slice into you, They are once again the armored training dummies

and then just as quickly back to full-fledged samurai with dark sunken eyes. I need you to roll a strength saving throw, please. I failed. Oh, natural 20. I'm on fire today. God damn, Andy. I'm on fire!

The advantage doesn't even matter. 20 guys. Anyone who fails will take 10 points of slashing damage and be knocked from. And you took your corruption as well, right, Rich? I did. I did. Is he loaning you dynes?

Kana. I'm getting you to do the dice. I think it's just me. Do you want different dice? No. I've got an entire bag of dice. You're welcome to pilfer. I don't have to serve it.

Thank you, chat, for your twists. Seriously. Do not attempt to trick me with these visions, these poor souls that you have brought here to taunt me. Five, 10, 15, 20. I'm now in front of her. Okay. I'm going to look up at her.

And I remember Sergei distinctly mentioning the veil. Okay. What is going to do? Is it within reach? It is. I'm going to reach out and grab it and attempt to rip it off her face. Show yourself. You are unable to rip the veil from her face, but you are able to lift it.

Oh. Connor. As you reach out and lift the putrid, fleshy veil that shrouds the false head of the aberration before you, not knowing to expect beneath. You see the tone of human flesh, but absolutely caked with makeup. Glowering at you is the bulging face of great Lady Oshy, her prominent cheek shaking as the look of disgust radiates from her. And she yells at you. You have brought purity to nothing.

You are shameful. You are dishonorable. You disgust me. You disgust your family and your village. You are not a samurai. eye. You maintain your gaze as the face of Great Lady Oshy thrashes your jowls about. As you hold your ground, the face shakes back and forth faster and faster and then explodes into putrid gore and viscera sprang all over you. The fleshy body of the Blood Queen's effigy slithers back into

the wall, opening your passage. However, an otherworldly feeling of disgust overwhelms you all. I need everyone to make a Constitution saving throw and a wisdom saving throw. Kana, you automatically fail, but you do not take, but you are cleansed of one stack of corruption. Okay. Con first. I'm twisting.

I fail the con and pass the whiz. Do I feel both con and whiz? You automatically go. God damn. I pass both miraculously. If it's still 21, I pass both. Oh, that's one. I failed the con and passed the wisdom.

That's what I did. Until you got a twist for me, I still failed it, but I did pass the X, so I feel in Congress. Did anyone get 20 or above? On both checks. Me? I got 20 to 21, yeah. Kana, Shepard, you both receive one level of exhaustion. Exhaustion?

Shepard, you have one additional level of bloody corruption. I'm at five. Wait, so I rolled a 20. I was saying the DC was a 20 to 1. I rolled a 20 and the 20. The DC is 20. Oh, then I heard. For leaving the room, the DC is 20.

Okay, I passed both of those. You lifted the veil, so you auto fail, but you do not take a level of corruption. You, however, failed, so you take a level of corruption. To completely succeed and have nothing happen, you have to pass both sales. Yeah. With that, I thought,

I'm going to pass out your cheat sheets. Yay! So there are some... The White Queen's gone? Just give me a second. I'm going to explain these. So there are... Yeah, just pass them out.

So there are some important things on there. The original DC, I realized, was too high during the Stradonia fight. It is a 21. We've been using a 21 since you got in here. So account for the 21 and not the 22 on the throws. But that shows you,

you'll see where it says vaporous abscess is black. That's actually the white dot. because I can't put black on this and use the same as a corruption tracker. I highlighted the colors to make it easier for you to know which one does what. And it is when you end your turn on the protrusion and not passing by it

because you would literally never get through this room if it was every time you passed one. Does anyone else need a coin? Oh, that was that one. And then at the bottom, it shows you the corruptions. There is a corruption track at the top for you to be able to track your corruption. And down at the bottom, it shows you

what each of the levels of corruption does so you can manage all of that. I'm not going to be managing that anymore. I expect that of you. But the entire point is that at this point you should have a rough idea of what all of these things do and that may help you manage the room going forward. So we're allowed to like

meta use this. Like it wouldn't be like Shepherd doesn't know any of this and just barrels headfirst into danger. You, the entire point is after this first room, though it's horrifying and maddening. You have a rough understanding of how, how these things affect you

and where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Okay, cool. So remove the many, right? It is with this, as the blood queen moves and enters back into Ravenloft, you are able to exit the room itself. You find yourself in another hall. The wall is still lined with veins and tumors

as Ravenloft is alive and of her, but you continue as you move forward, rushing through the castle. Shepherd in the lead, once again, trying to lead you toward where you know the heart of Ravenloft to be the heart of sorrow. As you make your way into another room. Which way you want to?

The fire plagues. I don't know. Whichever ways easiest for you to see. I don't think it's fine for us. But there should be two entrances there that you can easily see. So, yeah, we're coming here and going, going up the stairs out of here.

Yes, yeah, yeah. Yes, so there's the entrances above, essentially. Oh, I see. Okay. Oh, yeah. Okay. Purple boys in the middle there. Yeah. Color coding, color coding.

Blue and a blue. Oh. Thanks, James. Yep, here. You can use it. I didn't want to, I wanted to move. I wanted to move it. It's a fun.

It's a little puzzle. And they're just horrible. Creepy crawlies. Everybody? Whose turn were we at? It was Kana's. Perfect. Victoria now.

Victoria. Okay. As you, well, one second. You all arrive in the trophy room and find it similarly, totally overgrown with disgusting, pulsing growth, spoils, and tumors. Taxidermy beasts and monstrosities tower perpetually snarling over you. and the heads of dozens of creatures mounted on the wall. At the far end of the room is a huge fireplace.

A mighty blaze within. Two staircases flank you in either wall, and on the landing above, you see that some horrible tentacled shape blocking your exit once more. The voice that echoes in your brain is different now. Please, we've done nothing. We're good people.

We don't deserve this. Once again, only one of you recognizes the voice. The voice is from your distant memories, but some of your strongest shepherd. And you now hear the voice of your mother shrieking in agony. And now throughout the room you see a dusty canyon

beneath the blisteringly hot sun and the stuffed beasts shift to giant scorpions, dire coyotes, two-headed rattlesnakes and other monsters of the desert where the fireplace is, a gnarled dead tree set completely ablaze. Victoria.

I'm sorry, so we're entering from like here? Yes. Okay. So can you stick my menu? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Sorry. Do you have reference? Yeah, there.

Okay, perfect. Okay. Oh, God. And so we can all hear this. Yeah. I'll just turn behind me. Shepherd, I'm so sorry. And you know what you must do, Shepherd.

So I'll hear with you. Thank you. 5, 10, 15, 20, 20. I'm going to stop. Resolve your color. No color. Okay. Well, boy, than that shit. Wait, can we see the color?

On the ground? They're the dots. I know that, but like in, in... There's no color on the ground. The colors are simply for us to be able to track all the madness. I guess what I'm saying is what I mean. Yeah, but like, would I be able to like, oh, don't step there. Yes.

Okay. Then yes, I will stop. You want to stay away from the whole of all. shogoths. Yeah, I know. This is growing on the wall so like, you know. You know, but like if I'm like,

oh, no, yeah, you know. I can't stand there, but I can stand here. Right, that's what I was asking. Yeah. Yeah, I don't want to like game it. You're allowed to, basically. Yes. But the entire point is you've learned enough

to be able to manipulate the room a little bit. With that, it is, it is, the wailing continues. And she is going to with, fabulous and heartbreaking. Mm-hmm.

Her voice booms out over the room, the agony overwhelming you. I need you all to roll a wisdom saving throw, please. DC21. Nice. 22. I pass.

Another natural 20. 22. God. Anyone who fails a roll a D6. If nobody fails, no corruption, and you're able to shrug off. Five for the D6.

You're overcome with blood, with blood frenzy. You're overwhelmed with bloodlust and must use your action to attack the nearest friendly creature. I got a four. Do I take corruption as well? Yes.

You are, Victoria, your mouth is not your own. You're incapable of mortal speech and simply jibber in a long-forgotten and incomprehensible tongue. You are incapable of spellcasting until the end of you're natural.

round. Moved up. Wow. Ashagal falalawa. Sarnas. Um, I am with Shepard, right? Mm-hmm.

All the entrance. I am going to, after hearing the voice, I'm going to pause very briefly before I enter, and at the exit, and I'm going to place a hand on you. Uh-huh. Shepard. Yeah. Garrick is with you.

you. I am with you. No place but forward. Allow me to return the favor and you'll feel incredible warmth as I cast freedom of movement on you. And I am going to move 30 feet into the room. And I am going to start here. I'm going to go around this way. Yes. So one and a half, three, four, you can kind of go around, right? Five and a half. You can stop there? Can I stop next to the stair? Probably not.

You don't have to use your full movement. Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to stop there. I'm going to stop there. Okay. That's my turn? I'm going to get your turn. Shepard.

I'm going to start where Sarnax was, and I want to go the same way, but I'd like to use my action to dash. Okay. Ten. You said this was five and a half. So it's six and a half. Right.

As you move past 30 feet, you have more than one level of corruption on you. Yes. As the tentacles worm their way up and hold you in place. Oh, okay. So then I'm going to be like here. One and a half, yeah, one, three. And that engine. Yeah, yeah, right there.

So I had to make a DC saving throw of 22. Not for the corruption of the elder. You do if you want to. He's on green. He's on green. Oh, on green, yes, yes. Strength saving throw. And if you're at 5, you got a minus a D4?

No, that's not until 10. Oh. Oh, concentration. I'm misread. So I do fail and get a stack, though, and I am restrained until my October. Then I can feel the movement out. So I'm at six stacks of corruption. Yes, the grasping tendrils until the beginning of your next turn.

So you can still move at the end of your next turn, as long as you don't do anything else. Okay. Nothing else afterwards I can end it. Clayton. Freedom and movement, baby. I will jump out here and I'll go one and a half

two and a three would he be able to continue his dash with freedom of movement? That'd be up to you? I mean, I would imagine that you would because, yes, so I would say you can continue your movement up the way. Sorry, Rich, sorry, I was so this was five and a half.

I forgot about freedom of movement. Six and a half, so wait, that six and a half times five is 30. So where am I going to? I'm going up to 10, right, for 60? 12. 12. You're, oh no, so you go 12 square. 12 squares. Six and a half.

So, seven and a half, eight and a half. No, so they're all diagonal, right? So what is that? That's six and a half. Okay, so then six and a half, then that's eight, nine and a half, 11, 12. All right, so then I don't actually end on a square. Okay, so you can undo that corruption that is got.

All right, all right, all right. Thanks, Sarnax. And DM. And DM. I forgot. So that was my phone. Clayton. So I will

basically move one and a do, did it take five movement to walk out to here? No, you just place yourself somewhere. I never go to one of those two

if you want, whatever one is it. One and a half, three, four and a half, five and a half. Yeah, I'll just,

I'll try to do this. charisma saving from because I am within I love having you manage the stuff instead of me doing it this is a great idea Tandy yeah she's you too can I twist

yes while you do that the trophy room comes alive around you what once were taxidermied beasts are now alive and well in this room as two-headed scorpions lash their tails at you rattle snakes rear up for bites. I need all of you to make a dexterity saving throw.

Okay. Dext, you say. Okay, I fail. I fail. Eight. I'm gonna use a twist because I failed. Yeah, I'm good at this. You should use a twist. Thank you. We really appreciate that we are running low. I got a 20. Use one. I'll use one. One more. So I failed on the teal, got. On the teal bioluminescent roof. Okay. So we know what that does. Yeah, you know, you know. Yeah, You should have your... You roll a D6, right? Oh, so are...

I'm looking at... I own... Is saving... Yes, roll your damage. You need to be rolling your damage for yourself. You're completely controlling that sheet. I just... Yeah.

Okay. I hadn't... ...hit anything. I'm trying just not to hit anything. That's my game plan. That's a good point. Did anybody fail? I did.

If you take 21 points of fire damage... And your speed is halved. Yikes. And I'm saying... so consumed by this blood lust, right? The blood frenzy? Till the end of your next try. Until the end of your next trip. Conno. Yes, you have to make an attack on the person closest to you if you can get to them. Well, I... You have half speed, so I will...

In my frenzy, would I use my action to move closer to somebody or would I move 15 in stop? I'll leave that up to you to decide. It's your character. You do you, boo. Can you grab McCona's money, please? Yeah. So I'm... at the base here. So I'm coming up these stairs. No, the stairs go up towards the Blood Queen. Oh, I see.

You're coming out from under them. So you got to go out. Oh, okay. Sorry, I thought it was done right around. So, yeah, I will run here. Troy, we meet again. Oh, God. No.

This one will admit. 13. Oh, thank God. Wow. No. Wow. 18? Yeah.

You take eight points of damage. I assume the... Oh, boy, that's pretty good. I think she did her. Is it? You said eight or 20? Eight. You take eight points of damage.

You'll take another nine. Eight plus nine. Oh, my God. 17 total. This one should miss. 16. Needs. Don't you have major armor on?

Yeah. Oh, wow. Okay, wow. Man? I'm like a... I'm a jello. I should hit you more. Okay, we take another, uh, 12 points.

Thanks. Oh, my God. Way there, you passed me the ranch. Just going to try to get by here, by the ragged as a branch. Victoria, you bitch. Oh, it's me. Just slap, Connor. Use my action

Again Again And then I will continue to move After that slot So how can I Do I have to like come around to get the You can move through your friends And I'm not charging difficult train

So it's just a normal five feet I'm a little bad with diagonal Yeah so you were here right So that's one and a half Three 4 and a half 6. 6. Okay. Okay.

And are you landing on anything? Nope. Wow. Damn. You're good. I like the Blood Queen. Oh gosh. The Blood Queen lets out another yell. Silas, this is the Blood Queen is going to call forth a rising moon

as the room is bathed in crimson, blood, red light. I need you all to make a Constitution saving. throw. I hope I die before I get to my room. I fail. I fail. I pass. I pass. So this side of the table fails. Anyone who fails is going to take a stack of corruption, and you cannot regain hit points until the end of the Blood Queen's next turn. Okay. Okay. My turn. Shepherd, I'm right behind you. I'm right behind you, nowhere but forward. And then I am going to My movement is half, so I'm just going to use my action to normal movement. So one and a half, three, four and a half.

Here? Or here? One more? Yeah, there. Okay. I land on yellow, and I, that's a dexterity saving throw. I'm okay at that. I, can I use a twist?

Yes. Okay. Worse? Okay. Boop. And I roll my mind. damage, correct? Oh, 86. Yikes. That's a necrime. Oh, wow. I should have probably used another twist. That's fine. All right. Shepherd. I am going to move five feet. And I'm going,

I'm going to grab the veil and having seen that kind of couldn't rip it off, I'm going to lift it as if I'm holding somebody by the hair. It was like pull it up very violently. And I say with a lot of rage, I say, You aren't fucking real. You can't make me live this twice. I was just a boy, this isn't real! And I'm going to lift the veil up and shake it like I'm dragging somebody by their hair.

Oh my God. As you summon all your grit and lift the slimy veil, the face beneath is rust-colored with deep gray eyes, messy dark hair is strewn across her face, and her horns curb up and around the crown of her head, her face is racked with unfathomable pain and immeasurable. anguish. The pain a woman and child. You stand

your ground and stare at her pained face. It gnashes about like a cornered beast and her eyes burst and coat the room as the face withers away. Once more the aberration slinks away and you are all filled with an incredible feeling of unbridled rage.

Okay. I need you all to roll a saving throw. I need you to roll Constitution Saving Throw. I need you to roll Constitution saving throw and a wisdom saving throw Silas, or Shepherd, I should say, you fail.

You take one level of exhaustion, but you can cleanse a level of corruption. I guess. What was the second? It is wisdom and constitution. You must succeed both, or you take a stack of corruption. I fail the color.

That's good. And a level of exhaustion. Can I use just one twist for them good at confidence? saving throws, actually. Yeah. I mean, got them. Nope.

It was meant to be. Meant to be. Thank you for the twist, though. Chat. I passed both miraculously. Wow. So I expect you to deal with that. I'm exhausted.

Level of exhaustion, a stack of corruption. Which is ability. Ability checks. I feel like I know all the corruption after the... Except for you, Shepard, you only gave one level of corruption. He heals. Is there anything? I'm sorry.

You gain, you take away a level of corruption. You gain an exhaustion. It's just a stack, right? Or just something else. I'm sorry. You gain, if you fail, if you do not succeed both of them, you take a level of exhaustion and a level of corruption. Level of exhaustion, that's what it is.

But no, like, damn it. No damage. It's like one versus the other that you fail. It's not real, Shepherd. Yeah, I don't know. But we will burn them in holy fire. Yeah, agreed. We will burn this place to the ground.

I have seen it in the fire. You all. begin to move again. Shepherd, this new found hatred, this pain. It hits deep. You move with purpose. The blood queen will die tonight.

And if you have it your way, at your hands. To make your way into a long haul, relatively narrow and choked with fleshy growths on the wall, all portraits of the long line of the von Zarovich family, their stern and gloomy faces

looking down with looks of prideful contempt. At the very end of the end of the world, the hall is an enormous painting of Stradonia and position of grandeur and reverence. The portrait gazes out with grave spite, clutching her father's sword and looming like a warlord. Beneath the late Countess's image is the wriggling effigy of her master and jailer. This time, the voice that infiltrates your very minds is one you all recognize. What did you kill my new mama? You were supposed to be my mama too.

We were going to live in the castle together and have a fairer tall life. And then I would be a queen when I grow up. Did you not love me enough? Is that why you killed Mama? The sad voice of Little Myrtle, now Ravanaughia whispers and sniffles through your consciousness as the portrait shift and change around you, as if depicting active scenes within.

At the far end of the room where once was just the warlord who conquered this land is a family portrait with her wife, Victoria and daughter Ravanovia. all of them vampires. They stare out with impossible pride and self-satisfaction. The ancestors of the Vonsaravich line shift instead to living scenes of this possible life, with the three women ruling for centuries

and subjugating the people of Borovia beneath their heavy boots, turning so very many to mindless vampire spons that crawl and swarm through the paintings. The chandeliers that light the paintings begin to swing and sway, and one by one, the elaborate crystal that adorns it shatters

and sends a rain of shards down, the floor. Clayton, you enter into the room. I will enter. I kind of want to try. I feel like the effect of the actual IRL psychological torment

is like the actual deliberate point of this. We're literally being worn down IRL and this is just a... I apologize to all of my players beforehand for what was going to happen. I was going to make you hate me. I said, I'm really sorry and I told them I all loved them very much. D&D is the reason I drink.

I will run six feet, or 30 feet, not six feet. And I won't land on my color. So I will dodge between all the horrible Eldridge things. The images begin to shift in the paintings. The vampire spawn that have spilled into them, creating this new unhappily ever after for Victoria, Stradania and Robinovia, spill out of the painting towards you. as they begin to attack.

I need you all to make a charisma saving throw as the vampires burst forth, the vampire spawn burst forth from the paintings and begin to pierce into you. Oh, I know I physically can't pass this. I fail or not with. 21. I have plus zero.

Oh. There's no reason to read it twice. I have to roll an actual 20. Close. You ordered like one side off. It was like... It's right there. I would see the toy.

There's the 20. I have plus eight, but I feel like it's not worth it because... Plus eight? That's pretty good. Okay, can I have one plus a huge? One twist, that's. Fuck it, dude. I just plus three. Got it, got it.

Yeah. He said, I only don't. I don't roll on the ones where I'm like, I have plus two. Anyone who failed is going to take eight piercing damage and you are grappled until the end of your next turn. Oh, I saw a free movement. Am I still a little frenzy? You are not. No.

It was still the end of your next turn. Keeps happening to me. I had confusion, so I shouldn't have even moved. Should I have, right? Your confusion is gone. Okay, got it. Move through the room is a little like that, right? When the finalization thing happens, all things on you were clear, except for your stacking corruption. Got it.

Okay. So, sorry, how much damage? Eight. Eight. Eight piercing. Yeah, it's a lot. Well, Clayton, it's kind of a lot. Ghana.

Yeah. I'm hearing the voice, a child and try and shrug it off knowing that this is all in the ocean. Where are you? Is it five to get into the room? You just start somewhere in the square. And then you make your movement from there.

So that doesn't count us five. You have full movement from there. You can just run up to blow. I'm just going to stop short. And I'm just going to put a hand on a the professor's shoulder and be like, I'm with you, professor. I will not leave your side, and that'll be my turn. Victoria.

You're not grapple. Like, Victoria says charisma. That's really like him. Okay. This is horrible. 5, 10, 15, 20. We'll move landing on white. Oh, God, let's wait.

That should be on, Colin. So a little damage. Okay. I'll let you do this. Yeah, I'll pass that. No problem. All right. Ravanaughia looks out at you,

or the blood queen looks out at you, but the voice of Ravinovia booms from her. You were supposed to, I was supposed to be your present. Your child, you were supposed to love me. She said you would love me the way that you loved everything, the way you loved them.

But they took you from me. They forced you, warped and twisted your mind. We could have been happy. The only family I've ever had, the only one I ever wanted. It's not real. And she is going to, don't use her voice. Look out at all of you.

As tentacles begin to emerge from the fleshy walls and lash out. I need all of you to make a dexterity saving throw. Oh, no. I'm going to twist that. Do it. I got a net for one. With next, you should, so Shepard. You said.

Did you fix the playlist for me? Yeah. Thank you. I failed with a 17. Oh, I meant to, um, as a bonus action, drink of person. That's fine, you can do it. Thank you.

Anyone who fails is going to take 20 points of a psychic damage and a stack of corruption. If you save, you'll take half the damage and no pressure. 21 or 20, sorry. 20. 20, go. I don't know why I heard one. And I'm five.

Because I said 21. I was just pretty sweet. I just passed. I met it. My brain, I'm like actually mine fuckling. I know. Like, Mikey, Mikey is mine. My brain is melting over here. This is very effective. I mean, honestly, it's our, or like, we're actually being overloaded.

So that our minds break to simulate Eldridge horror. Well done. It's very good. I am a level, fifth level corruption. Do I feel like I'm changing? Like, do I look down at myself and I, and I, and I, I hear the voices. That's actually a really great question.

You look down at yourselves and you will actually see that you are changing. Oh, no. You look down and where your feet should be is now turning into an inky void. Shepherd, bits of your flesh are becoming parasitic pops of poison. Victoria, the tips of your fingernails and along your hands are covered in bloody, mucus. Clayton radiates with the colors, every

color, all colors. An iridescent shell, his skin hardens. And Sarnax, you watch as he almost looks like he's flickering with purple fire. Victoria, none of this is real. None of this is real at all.

Do not listen to her. It is not truly her. Forward. Forward! Still angry as fuck from what he's doing in my boy I'm there I am going to I am going to go I'm going to go this way

One two three four five I'm just going to stop there And I am going to raise my lantern And I will Because I can take my action I'm going to say Garex is seeing us through his rage

is of mine! And this radiating, raging fire burst out. And as I cast, oh, can I cast this? Oh, I'm going to only cast, use a bonus action to cast mass healing work. And so I will roll that.

Okay. Bless you. Shepherd. Okay. I am going to with freedom of movement so even though I was restrained, I no longer. as I kind of like get to the doorway. I put my hand on the doorway and I'm like, okay, I'm keeping up.

I'm keeping up. I'm coming. And I'm my speed's at, 5, 10, 15. That's my turn. If we've surpassed five, is there anything else other than the I eruption that happens? Not until 10. Not until 10. Okay.

So you can see, it tells you the stacks and then there's a tracker. Okay. I wasn't sure if I needed to let you know because I'm at 7. Nope, nope. Just you feel you can manage those from now on. I trust you.

I am having faith in my party that they are actively tracking. I know. I know. I don't want to be at seven. Oh, that's not. Very good. Just don't read what happens at 20. Five. Oh, okay. I will not.

Yeah. It's not a nicely folded here at the end of the table. 15 points of feeling to everyone. 15, 15 points of healing. Oh, bless you. And with that is, uh, Shepard's turn. Oh, you moved. Yeah, I'm done.

It is Clayton's turn. Are you all right, Shepherd? I guess you get cold, that. We need to keep going, Victoria, no. This is real. To steal yourself, fate is on our side. We must keep going. One, two, two.

I'm going to go up here. Oh, fuck. Big purple. Big purple. That's okay, though. He's a Viking. Oh, wait. Yes.

There's an in-saving pro, and that's where I'm a Viking, as Derek would say. That's like a three. Oh, God. Oh, baby. So I feel hard. The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling begin to crack and sway

as shards of glass rain down around all of you. I need you to make a charisma saving throw as the shards of glass attempt to pierce your bodies. It's Ravenloor. Yeah. That's a day? Charisma. I don't fail.

27. That's a pass for me. Does corruption go up if we fail? No. That's Ravenloft. It's only blood clean and postules. Anyone who fails takes 17 points of piercing damage and you're grappled until the end of your next trip. I don't have freedom of movement. I was grappling.

Earlier, right? So yeah, I'm back here. Oh. I'm stuck. You're still stuck. So you would take, if you're on a thing, you would take that one at the end of your turn. But you are no longer grappled. Okay. And that ends your turn.

Yeah. You do nothing. Okay. Call up. Kama. Kama. Let's take the thing. So I am grappled or I'm prone.

Grappled. Grappled by biz. I'm going to use my... Vampires are out of the paintings. I'm going to use my action to try and break the grapple, which is athletics or a couple of baddest, but athletic for you probably. 18. That fails. Oh, do they're kicking off of me?

I guess that's my turn. I'll just... Victoria. I'm not on a dot. Can I a bonus? Well... 15, 20. No pot. Potient. Yeah, bonus actions, you're welcome to take potions. If you need to, you don't need to ask. Just do it.

And I trust that you will not drink more potions than you have. My last portion. Bloods. Oh, Blood Queen. Oh, no. You're coming for me because you want to be my mom. But if you did, why would you kill her? She loved you so much.

She loved me so much. And you ended her. You broke her. You broke our family. Stop this. The Blood Queen is going to raise her hands into the air. as she lets out a shriek, the walls, shake. I need you all to roll wisdom saving throw.

If you fail, you take one stack of corruption, and you roll a D6. 22. That fast. 24. I will need a twist this. I rolled a five and a... Twist it.

We have twists. Say what is it? It's one stack of corruption and... And you roll a D6. to determine what happens to you. I would suggest to you Twitter. I will never pass this. What's your plus?

Two. Yeah, it's pretty low. Pretty low chance. It's up to you. Totally up to you. Yeah, it's up to you, though. You know, you have ever right to you. Yeah, you're a player too.

How desperate would you say Victoria looks in this moment? Hello? Pretty desperate. She looks, I mean, Kelsey looks pretty desperate. Set it on my face. I don't know, pretty bad. You hear in your mind's eye, and you need to mark this so that it doesn't happen again. You hear in your mind's eye.

Well, you know, that's not really fair, because not all kids don't like you. Like, I totally like you, and she seems like a total weenie. I don't think that's how this works. And you almost feel as if you're inside, as if you're inside zoop around as Arabel from within the case twists time to your advantage. your time warp from Arabelle is expended and you succeed. Oh my gosh. Oh, shit. I fail, wisdom save.

Okay, roll a D6 for me, please. Five. You're overcome with a blood frenzy. You're overwhelmed by a terrible blood loss. You must use your action to attack the nearest friendly creature. Oh, no. Oh. And this is another corruption.

Why is it? No, it's you? No, it's another corruption. It's like, why is it the one with... Ah! My turn, right? That's sick away from me. Oh.

And that was victorious. No, that was the... Bloodswing's turn, so it's... I am just going to... Victoria, you must continue onward. You must continue onward. I'm going to move 30 feet, just up. And, uh...

Uh, yeah, I'm just gonna stand right there. Yeah, why not? You can stop right. Oh, I'm gonna stop right there. Victoria, I am right behind you. Garrick's is with you. The blood, the, uh, not the blood queen, the, uh, not the blood queen, the, uh, your queen is stronger than she is. And she will bring divine retribution. I'm still angry. Um, I'm still hopping and puffing in like, oh, God, it's all right. All right, here we go. Garrix got me.

And I'm gonna move 15. and as I pass by, I'm gonna put my hand on kind of shoulder and be like, we're gonna be all right. We're gonna get through this. And then as I pass five feet ahead of her, I just kind of lean over on my, on my knees. And I'm, ah, that's by sure? No color. Okay. Clayton. So am I still grappled?

Until the end of it. You can use your action to attempt to escape it, but you escape it at the end of your turn anyway. That's irrelevant, really. Oh, sorry, I skipped it at the end of my last turn, so I'm now not grappled. Yes. Okay. So now I will go, we're almost there. One, two, three, four, five, six.

I am going to, I'm seeing the Blood Queen, and I'm going to look up, and I'm seeing them lift the veil. I'm going to attempt, use my action to lift the veil and see what happens. You raise your arms towards the blood queen, and you begin to lift the veil. You're going to take 29 points of psychic damage and one level of exhaustion

as you get a faint glimpse of what is underneath, but your flesh singes on the veil as she repels you backwards and you are thrown 15 feet backwards. No! Oh my God! Right here, right? Right here, purple. You don't see the damage, is that right?

I'm immune to the damage. He can't take a little of exhaustion. Oh, he smashes over the fucking, like, pink-ass shog off. Purple is what? Magenta. Magenta. Oh, my. Papers are flying.

Ravenloft. Thank you. No better than fuck with a puzzle. The vampire spawn in the pictures, once again, claw their way out, tearing portraits apart to get to you. I need you all to roll a charisma saving trip. I don't have a fail. Anyone who fails will take 19 points of piercing damage, and you are grappled until the end of your next turn. Oh, my God.

I was already grappled. Thanks for freedom of movement, buddy. This is huge for me. I'm gonna crawl along in 15 feet. I'm so fucked. Oh, my God. Did you pull a twist out for me? Oh, yeah.

Thank you. We're doing there. So, yes, that happens. That is Ravenloff Kana. Don't you tell me what to do? I'm gonna stab him in the back. What? What do you mean?

Ah! That's been. Meant today. Shit. Oh, my God. A 30. You know he's the weakest mind up. 13.

13. yeah that misses 25 yeah three of them fucking it oh yeah yeah oh my god oh my god

oh my god it's ability checks right um 22 27 points of flashy if we need to use like acrobatics or athletics to get out of that shit

how much 27 27 27 10 I won the non-hear but you boss to be around shepherd uh ignore the music first

second. This isn't real. And then I can attempt to make the frenzy save. It's at the end of your turn. It's gone. Oh, it just disappears. I don't have to make a save for it. No, I think that all the effects and the internet turn is always just gone. Yep. So I will come to, as I'm sliding my Naginada out of Shepard. I'll be like, oh my God.

I'm so sorry, Shepard. Oh, my God. What is that keep happening, Kada? Get yourself together right now. I'm trying. I'll try to break the grapple. Well, no, I guess it's at the end of your turn. So it's done. The grapple? Oh, from the tentacles?

From the vampires. Oh, from the vampires, yes. No, you would have to break the grapple. Yeah, and that's an action to try to break the grapple. And if you're exhausted, yes. Yeah, it's an exact. It's my turn. Victoria.

All right. I will step forward up to the Blood Queen. Here we go. Here we go. I will look off the fur and it does not matter what you say. A heart can only be broken once, and I will lift the veil up. You grab the fleshy veil and pull it up. In the face of a pouting vampire flanked by black ringlets of hair,

stares at you with contempt, tears streaming down her face as she yells. Her small fangs glint beneath the light of the chandeliers. You are a terrible mama. You could have been the queen. I could have been the queen. My good mama promised me. She told me I was better than all the other children, even the one with magic. I am better.

You are better than your stupid friends. You made a choice and you chose wrong. You take the verbal abuse from the daughter you could have had as you simply gaze past the veil. The face of Little Ravanaughia gnashes out with her fang teeth as her eyes turn a blood red and blood starts to spew from her mouth as the face twists back and forth as if the neck was snapped. Then the blood queen's form becomes one with the skin on the walls

and the path is clear once more. as you're all filled with bitter, contemptuous pride. Looking down, you see your transformations continue to form. Clayton, your skin getting harder and harder as you move. That strange, pearlescent color shifting with every movement, all colors all at once. Kana, the inky void, slowly consuming your body. Parasitic poison spilling forth from you, Shepherd. Purple fire igniting and taking over the floor.

And for you, Victoria, bloody mucus as it travels up your arms and begins to travel up your legs. I need you all to roll your two saves, wisdom saving throw and constitution saving throw. Victoria, you automatically fail. You can remove, you can cleanse one level of corruption, but you will take one level of exhaustion. I fucking finally did it. What? Is that an option? No, that's just what happens.

I passed them both. Finally. This is the important one, which I didn't want three levels of exhaustion. What is level two of exhaustion? Half speed. That's where I'm at. Can I twist?

Can I use one twist? Yes, you can twist. Yes, please. I would like to twist as well. Oh, boy. How many do we have left? Well, we're going to have to find out how many we need. We're back in there pretty quick.

Oh, no. We're almost going to twist. I've succeeded, though. Well, you guys are running, too. Where's the bag? I need you to roll your wisdom saving your constitution saving Okay. So we should try to go back.

Anyone who does not pass both, please take a stack of corruption and a level of exhaustion. Except for you. Thank you. Thank you. 23 for Wizz and 29. Okay. Passed. It is with that that you once again are able to leave this horrific room.

That take me a while. You begin, you follow Shepherd. as you make your way through the halls of this place, moving ever closer towards the heart of sorrow, ever closer towards the blood queen as she slowly drains you of your sanity. The five of you make it into the study, and you know you're getting close to the belfry

that leads to the bridge that connects the rest of the castle to the heart tower. Bookshelves line the wall as they lean forward, pushed away from the stone, from the bulging flesh and pumping veins beneath. The luxurious decoration and place plush furniture make you think it would have been quite cozy before the hideous transformation. As you've come to expect, at the far end of the room, past the middle island of bookshelves in

the room is the Blood Queen's effigy. It waits for you as the sides of her form attach and detach from the exit doorframe with sickening pops. Also, as expected, a voice speaks to your collective consciousness. So what if Nigel was devoured by Garallin? He should have kept a bit of watch. And Cassandra's death was her own carelessness. We all read the same herbalism book and we never which venomous plans to avoid. We will not give up now. We simply cannot, and Asran never turns back, no matter the cost. For another surprising change, this voice isn't quite one you all recognize. However, Clayton, there is a familiarity. It's so similar to Emmys, your daughters, as if she was all grown up and leading her own expedition. Then you remember your vision in the

heart chamber. It is her. The study shifts and changes all around you and you feel like you're in a jungle with horrific, venomous and poisonous plants all around you. Where should be bookcases are leering statues of ancient toad-like gods with glittering gems for eyes? The jungle comes alive and the statues rattle as if knowing your desecrating

intentions. This isn't real, right? What's happening to me? The effigy of the blood queen looks towards you, Clayton. Well, you really should have shown up sooner. Things have got so difficult out here.

I, you see, I love you, Papa, but I think I've had quite the accident and I don't know if I don't know how long I can, hold on. No, no, no, no, no, you need to go home. No, no, absolutely not. But, I, I hope you love me.

I do, I do love you. I hope you're proud of me. Yeah, I, I'm very proud of you. You'd been here sooner. And the Blood Queen is going to raise her arms towards the sky is a moon, a blood moon, rises up towards its zenith

and sheds a horrible crimson light all over the entirety of the room. And you do all to roll a constitution saving throw. Holy front. I'm not going to use a twist. If you fail, you are unable to regain hit points until the end of the Black King's next turn. And you take a stack of corruption. I have corruption.

Con, you said? I'm going to twist it because I'm good at Con. Is that okay? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I ripped up a bleakess. I'm like, oh, I need my saves. So we should be Sarnax's turn then, right? And the Sarnax's turn?

But we feel... This is beneath me. This is not worth my time. Why are you all slowing me down? And I am going to walk proudly into the room. 30 feet. And I am going... I'm going...

I'm going... No, one. Okay. So what I'm going to do is I am going to do is I am going to... to walk, so I'm going to start here, and I'm going to one and a half, three, four, what, wait, no, three, sorry, four, we'll all know, five, six. I'm standing on a couch, and that will be my turn. Hurry up all of you. All right, I'm fine, I'm fine. Everybody stop huff and puffing so much.

Five, ten, fifteen, that's how long moving. Me too, dog. The con saving throw, we gained a level of corruption if what else was going on? Well, you can't get any of it. You can't heal. No heal. Until the end of the Blood Queen's next time.

Okay. Sorry, I'm writing. I'm just writing. Clayton. Yep, Clayton. Blood Queen. Shepard. Ghosts.

What are you doing just standing there? I don't... I'm going as fast as I can't. You start on those front... We turn on one of these, right? Yes. No, no. Okay.

I'll just check to make sure that was the way I want to get out. Probably not, that's the point of this. I'm feeling tired as well, but I'm probably less tired than you, Shepherd. Oh, get it. Yeah, probably, professor. I'm not as young as I used to be. Yeah, that's all I can go.

So, so... Con saving throw. Con saving throw. Ravenloft comes alive around you as bubbling pools of blood. Roll your dam. begin to pop. Poisonous traps begin to snare.

Poison-tipped arrows, shoot out of the jungle, the dense jungles, the spears and arrows fly at you. I need you all to make intelligent saving throw. Oh, no. You're better than this. You're an Azran.

I have one chance to pass this. Nope. I need to roll my 300th 90-20 for the night. It is 21. Did not. I rolled in the 80-plus-2. You got a 19-5 plus two. What's even through?

Intelligence. You're fine. I fail. You'll notice that the saving throws correspond to your characters. Yeah, that's true. That's true. I like that.

Let me go back to the wisdom room. So, yeah, I'm done. That's all I can do. Anyone who failed, you will take 12 points of bludgeoning damage. Yep. And I need you to roll a D8. Sweet.

Oh, boy. I got a seven. Four. Oh, no. What did you get, Shepard? Seven. You are going to move to the west, and you are going to move

your entire movement speed directly towards the west. So into that globe, it looks like. So it depends on what the card directions are. Which way is north? North is towards the blood coin. So then I'm going to run directly into that globe. And you'll stop in front of it, Just as far as we're going to crush it.

Oh, fuck! And you will take whatever effect might happen if you land on a square that has a color. Who else failed? Four. Four. Kana, you are going to move southeast. No, you were going to move east. I'm not in the room.

You are, you're really lucky then. Get out of my way, Victoria. Leave it at that. Because there's no hallway. And that is the shit today, Kona. You're pretending to be quite enjoying stepping you in the back. We're all proud. We're all proud.

We're very proud right now. It's your turn. That idiot, Bobboy, running into the clove. I'm gonna, I'm gonna stop. Donny, huh? Shepard, stop wasting our time. You know, Sarnax, Roo's starting to piss me off. And you are me.

I don't need any of your help. I'm gonna be fine on my own, bastards. Not hold the way back there, you won't. I'm gonna take my own. I'm gonna take my own. damn time. I don't need any of you. Y'all are worthless. Mother fucking bastards.

Um, I don't need this. I'm trying. Why are you being indecisive? Hurry up. I'm done. I'm going to, I'm going to, um, I'm going to, um, I'm going to, um, I'm going to, like my nagging out by my side and I'll my chin up and I'll be giving a, uh, uh,

Victoria, uh, up down look and I'll be like, well, after you, And I'll just stay on there. Okay. Oh, no. I see rolling. I'm scared now. I have heard. I am going to take 10 points of psychic damage is out from the door frame.

Tendrils whack, whack, and whip at you, pulling you into the room. You will now place yourself somewhere inside of the room. I want to you. Hey, what's the big idea, Victoria? Dink! I'll flick her in the air and run. Uh, okay. so I am very tired

so I'm in here and then I'm just going to move to two squares because I'm exhausted that's for the game no blood queen father I learned all of this from you you told me that

an Azran never quits you told me that an Azran always gets the prize yes you told me that an Azran always wins no no father this does not feel like winning Father, this means like pain Father, I'm scared No, you'll be okay, that's why you're alive

and no one else is. That's right, you're an Azran. You're all great. And with that, tentacles emerge from the fleshy walls and lash out and attempt to attach to the heads of everyone in the room. I need you all to make a dexterity saving throat for me, please. That's not where I'm laughing.

Fail. Decks? Next. Oh. Oh, I was so close. 23. It was one off. No, I lied.

I was too off. It was looking rough. 40 points of psychic damage to anyone who fails. 40? Yes, and a stack of corruption. Everyone else will take half the damage and no stack of corruption. This is the only one of her abilities that does damage, so it's a megaton. So I need to now remove a D4 from saving

and ability checks. That's not good. Oh. Hold on. Wait, what kind of damage is this? Sorry. Psychic. Shut up.

That's the evil. You fucking asshole. What are you guys complaining about? Clearly, I'm smarter than all of you. And with that, it is Sarnax's turn. I cannot believe, out of all of us, I'm still in the lead, and I'm going to move 30 feet. And I was like, I am actually, my brain hurts as well.

I suppose I could help you all out. It is in my, I will be altruistic. And I'm going to cast masks for wounds at a very high level. The bloodline's over so we can heal, right? Yes, yes. And I will also move one. Oh, good glue. Two, three, four, five.

I'm just going to stay there. Good plan. And I'm just going to tap my foot and I will say, I look up at her. I will say, I don't know what you were supposed to be. And with that, and I will roll the healing. Top by four, that got me. Shepard. It's good because I'm bleeding out of my eyes.

I'm like still honking and as I move. I'm guessing it in the eighth level. Oh, so. Bless the cleric. I'll move 15 feet. And as I'm moving, I'm grumbong going, God bunch of god damn. Amateurs, I'm a professional.

I'm getting paid enough. Professor, clearly you got a problem with the funds coming in. I toss you a copper piece. maybe get yourself a better hat while you're at it. Whoa. How dare you? I don't know. Don't pay for this.

Take a tip from me. He'll pay for this, chef. That's my turn. That's your entire turn. All right. Clayton. Duncan on professor. Clearly, I'm responsible for this entire expedition.

Tammy, I'm coming. Your father's coming. One, two, three. And I'll just all start being out of breath. Oh. I'll lean over. I'll use my action to dash because presumably I can still do that.

38 points of healing everyone. Thank you. 38 points of healing. I am heel bitch. You are heel bitch. I like being heel bitch. Do I feel like I can lift the veil at a diagonal? Yes.

Fuck. I mean, you'll be okay. You're a proper ass man. It's going to be okay. And I'll lift the veil. With a grim determination, you reach up and pull back the veil of the Blood Queen's manifestation. A bright-eyed young woman with an angular face and pulled back

auburn hair peers back at you with delirious expression. It's unmistakably Amelia Azran, your daughter in 15 years' time. Who needs a right arm, right? I'm only amateurs absolutely need the dominant arm. The idol is so close. I must retrieve it. Even though the amphibian spirit said it would doom the continent, such a discovery will be my own legacy,

even greater than yours, father. Then he will finally be so proud of me. You will finally be so proud of me. No, I'm proud of you. Nowhere but forward, as you always say. You are not my daughter. I want it, I desire it, and so much more. I crave it.

I need more. You do not know if this is a future you can prevent or merely a fantasy, but you stay strong and watch your daughter's, your daughter hideously morph, like a toad, Amelia's tongue, lashes out. ravenously as her eyes widened with madness and desire, the tongue swells and bloats before bursting and spreading across the room, as all of you are filled with an insatiable, inesatible hunger.

I need you to roll wisdom and Constitution saving throws. Twice in a row. Here we go. Clayton, you automatically fail and you clear one level of corruption. After, I fucking pass. I'm getting an exhaustion. You gain another level of exhaustion. I've been rolling like hot fucking fat.

How much did we go for, by the way? 38. 38. I only passed one of them. Oh. I'm in deep shit. Is it this? One level of exhaustion?

Any level of corruption. Yeah. So I feel the- No, 20 is the exhaustion one. 21 is everything else, but 20 is the exhaustion. I'm passive. Yeah, these two are wisdom and con. So make it even with a minus one.

Nice. Okay, so now it's con. Minus. Ooh, actually, I'm like actually 25. Minus. And all of my savings terms are maybe the same. Two, 25. 25 minutes to 23.

Oh my god, I somehow pass both. With the fucking 10 stacks of corruption and an exhaustion. Yes. Fuck. It is difficult. And the room still undulates and rives around you. But you're able to rip its hold over it. You're able to rip away from its hold over you as you once again make your way into the hallway.

You know that you are mere, that you are, You are mere rooms from the tower as you make your way towards the belfry. Oh, shit. Oh, so we'll start and then go up. We're getting close. At last, I am at peace. But the Azran expedition is not so lucky. They finally understand the mental torture I've endured for centuries.

Can they withstand the Blood Queen's corruption and press onward to break the true curse of Stradania once and for all? Find out in the final episode of Curse Ostradania. 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. You can also enjoy our many campaigns on YouTube, shop at our merch store, support us on Patreon, and join our community on Discord.

All links are in the show notes. We welcome you to our Adventress family.