Reader discretion advised for fictional SA and themes of depression*

FOREWARNED FORWARD:

I joined the campaign through a post on roll20. It started and went on quite well for quite some time. I wrote these notes in story format for the party and DM. I was addicted to the game and their praise. By the end of my involvement, my mental state had begun to unravel and so I had to leave.

SESSION 1: YEAR 1491 in FAERUN, YEAR 735 in BAROVIA

Through Mists and Legend

A handsome, regally-dressed man gazed down from his castle across the dark valley surrounded by mountains and forests, as if counting the souls.

PROLOGUE:

Kragg Gemfist's tale began in Waterdeep. The barrel-bodied, mustachioed dwarf was dressed in browns and greens with a leather vest, a bandana on his head. He had many tattoos on his hands, arms, and body. Kragg was looking to quickly get out of town. After entering a tavern, Kragg was suddenly approached by a man in colorful clothes that jingled, a Vistani man. The Vistani offered a message, saying that he could make Kragg disappear and that he had a connection with the Stainless Stein. Over a drink offered by Kragg, the grateful Vistani informed Kragg that he should go to a town called Daggerford. "Find the Vistani camp there and Stanimir will help you get to the safe place...a little village run by Kolyan Indirovich, a trustworthy man...Is a vacation," the man assured the dwarf. Kragg attempted to Batman-disappear and leave town, but had to bribe the guards to leave town. He is uncertain if he was followed. It took him 4 days to reach Daggerford. He casually integrated himself into the Vistani camp without them realizing.

A pale and tall, lady cleric with metallic black-blue hair and purple eyes returned alone from her journey. Dressed in a tunic, pants, tophat, and cloak of blue, black, and white; Song Guine arrived at the Silver Ladies' temple of Selûne in the Misty Forest. Her search across the land for more information on vampires and their whereabouts seemed to have been in vain. Upon meeting with her mentor Minetta, Song received sudden news about the movement of werewolves as well as vampire attacks in Daggerford. Song was immediately most eager to pursue the lead and to meet with the Duchess Morwen Daggerford, who presided over her namesake. However, Minetta seemed concerned about the sudden arrival of the news coinciding with Song's arrival. Song decided to take it as a sign of guidance from Selûne, apologizing for her quick departure before rushing off to Daggerford. It was a 2 day journey for her.

The cleric met with the slightly unwelcoming Duchess over dinner. The duchess was less than forthcoming regarding any attacks, and requested that Song Guine first make the "gypsies" leave town. The wayward travelers were harassing locals and visitors for money as well as generally causing trouble. Any guards that went to the camp come back confused and oddly sympathetic. If the people didn't pick up their wagons and leave, the Duchess intended to have their camp burned to the ground at dawn.

Song Guine reluctantly took on the task and approached the camp. It was her first experience with Vistani. They were a friendly and colorful bunch with various wagons. They danced and made merriment around the fire. Stanimir, the older Vistani with a goatlike beard, approached Song and they had a conversation about vampires and the Duchess' wishes. Stanimir insisted he knew nothing about any vampires, but Song strongly suspected that he was lying. After hearing the warning of the Duchess and the persuasive words of Song, Stanimir said that he will leave before dawn comes. He also insisted that Song should stay for drinks and listen to a story. Stanimir ripped a drink from Kragg's hand to give it to Song, only to realize to his shock that Kragg was not his son Ratka.

Kragg revealed himself and told Stanimir why he was here-that a Vistani said Stanimir would show Kragg to a safe place. Stanimir questioned which Vistani told Kragg, but Kragg could not remember as he did not ask the Vistani's name. After some confirmation and persuasion, Stanimir decided to take Kragg to the village. Kragg offered Stanimir some stronger stuff, but Stanimir declined, much preferring wine but still clinked his drink with Kragg's.

Stanimir then drew everyone in together to tell a tale. He spat wine into the fire, turning it green as it began to change shape in tandem with his story. The Vistani man told a tale from the land of kings-the place that became his people's homeland. In the fire, a man fell off his horse, wounded by a spear. Stanimir told of a man that came to the Vistani, terribly injured and dying. The man refused to tell his name, but the Vistani nonetheless nursed him back to health. Armored men came along and claimed that the healed man was a prince and their enemy. The prince rose up with a sword drawn and fought alongside the Vistani against the men until each of them were slain. Then, the prince proclaimed that the Vistani could stay in his land as long as they wished. Time has passed since those days and the prince has since been cursed and became a terrible tyrant. Stanimir asked Kragg and Song if they would come to land to help their fallen king. The pair seemed uncertain. Song tried to question Stanimir for more information, but he insisted someone named Madam Eva would tell her anything else that she wished to know. Stanimir invited Kragg and Song to stay in one of the wagons that had a few tapestries in them.

Kragg and Song sat in the wagon together, playing cards badly and learning a few more things about each other. Song mentioned Stanimir's deceit and her study of vampires. Kragg questioned her interest in vampires. She told him that as a cleric of the moon, she studied many creatures of the night and knew of an attack that struck a town sometime ago. He did not seem interested in killing vampires unless there was a bounty, but insisted that any contract he picked up would be completed. The cleric questioned his reasons for coming to Daggerford. Kragg claimed that it just sounded like a good place to go. Song sensed deceit in his words and decided not to question him. The dwarf also discussed what he knew about Vistani and their innate magical nature, slightly inflating his knowledge on them. Later, Song attempted to divine some guidance from Selûne with her mirror but was unsuccessful. She also told Kragg about the various weaknesses she has learned about vampires. They fell asleep on either side of the wagon.

At that night, it is 18 days from the next full moon. Moon cycle is 28 days. Waning Third Quarter Moon.

Meanwhile across the world... Vladamir Darkheart... A grim, dark-haired man with flawless skin wearing a half mask moved forth from the church of Lathander and was taken by the Red Wizards of Thay. Considering death to be too merciful for him, they placed him in a coliseum-like arena to be a gladiator. In time, Vladamir began a rebellion with the gladiators and attempted a great escape. Many of his comrades fell as they battled and pushed their way through, finding a door that led to mists. They all ran and rushed forth to escape as Vladamir bid them onward. Vladamir quickly lost sight of them as he went deeper and deeper into the mist until he reached a very high wall with a gate. He was all alone now.

DAY 1 IN BAROVIA: 17 days until Full Moon: Waning Third Quarter Moon

There were two colossal statues of knights on either side of the iron gate. Both statues' heads had fallen off long ago and were now covered in moss. After putting his armor on properly, Vladamir began to notice that the mist was encroaching behind him, almost pushing him towards the closed gate. Feeling uncertain, he used divine sense and was overwhelmed by his senses for undeath and evil desecration all around him. It made him gain 1 level of madness, making him feel as if he was hearing random and strange voices. The gates were now open and Vladamir rushed through them as the thick wall of mist followed ever closer to him. He ran down the muddy road, past a dark and twisted forest.

Vladamir ran for a long time until he suddenly heard the clopping of a horse's hooves. Realizing too late, the masked paladin was run over by a skull-white horse that pulled a wagon with a sleeping Kragg and Song inside. No one was driving the wagon. The pair woke up. Kragg took hold of the reins to control the horse and Song quickly rushed out to check on Vladamir, apologizing for the unintentional damage.

Song informed Vladamir on what was going on from her perspective as Vladamir did the same. Everyone could smell a horrible evil stench in the air and they all came to realize that there was a dead body nearby. It was a common man, dead for years, buried under the brush, covered in claw marks, and being pecked at by crows fifteen feet away from the road. Paw prints were all around him. Vladamir and Kragg looked closer while Song stood by the horse. The man and dwarf found a wax-sealed letter and some identification. The dead man was named Dalvan Olensky.

Kragg handed the letter to Song. After reluctantly opening it, she read it aloud. The letter was oddly dated two weeks ago. (Letter is in the handouts). It determined that the burgomaster Kolyan Indirovich was abandoning all hope for his village. A "vampyr" has been attacking his adopted daughter Ireena Kolyana and has been attacking the burgomaster's people for 400 years. He bids heroes and holy men to surround the land in holy artifacts and to come for his village's treasures when all his people were dead. Kragg was shocked to hear that the burgomaster he had heard about was abandoning all hope.

They all heard the howling of wolves in the distance. The moon cleric recognized it as direwolves, warning that they were wolves as big as bears. The party immediately got onto the wagon and retreated down the road with Kragg in the driver's seat. Vladamir and Song seem determined to help the burgomaster and the victim of this vampire attack. They quickly discovered that they were both interested in fighting monsters. In the midst of the discussion, Song gave Kragg one of her stakes just in case. As it grew late, the trio parked the wagon on the side and found a safe burrow to camp in. They took their new horse with them and collectively fed it some rations. Kragg added some cooking to the food to make their trail rations more pleasant.

After giving Song his tent to sleep in, Kragg and Song went to bed. Vladamir conducted the first watch. Song and Kragg both had dreams where a voice told them "Welcome to your new home." The voice that spoke to Song was a Slavic-accented man's voice that sounded rather creepy. On the other hand, the voice that spoke to Kragg was Italian-accented, feminine, and alluring. The dwarf was a little disappointed to wake up as the paladin nudged him awake for the last watch. When Vladamir went to sleep, he heard many voices saying "welcome back". Nothing else disturbed them in the night and they woke up with relative ease the next day.