Prologue

On the trip to Barovia, I study my spellbook and ensure that I prepare spells essential for wiping out a zombie plague.

I will load up my wagon and mosey on into the town with the undead invasion.

Darren takes his horse and wastes no time in setting out for Barovia. The undead blight can not be allowed to stand...

As Ujjaya traveled alone down the road to Barovia he mused on the unusual encounter earlier that day. The aasimar monk had just returned to the Lightbringer temple to report on his latest mission, when, as he stepped out, he had been approached by a young woman who had introduced herself as Helene Maurgen. Because of Ujjaya’s strange appearance approaching him could not have been easy - many found his lustrous blue skin and glowing, all-white eyes unnerving, despite the kind benevolence those eyes held and the aura of serenity that surrounded him. Helene had approached him, she had said, not knowing who else to turn to. Her husband had left three months ago, armed with silversheen and wolfsbane, to Barovia to hunt werewolves, and she hadn't heard from him since. She begged Ujjaya to find her husband and bring him back. Should the worse come to pass and it turned out he was dead, she asked Ujjaya to bring her back his wedding ring to her as a memento. Now, werewolves were not creatures the Lightbringers were sworn to fight, but they were still evil creatures, and an innocent man might still be in danger. Ujjaya had accepted Helene's plea for help then had intoned a blessing of protection and calmness of mind over her, "Oṃ saha nāv avatu.
Om shanti, shanti, shanti." Then he had shouldered his bow and set off for Barovia.

" I have a long ride to get to the new town where the lightbringers called me to. I have always had a love hate relationship with the long ride. It's always been when I have done his best thinking, but it's also when I spend the most time in my mind, with my memories. I am not originally from the Ravenloft district, but have traveled a great many miles to wind up here. Being from another part of the world entirely, maybe even another dimension. I really don't know anymore. I never traveled through a portal or anything, but I have heard stories of people crossing the great wastes and being in another world when they get to the other side. If anybody has traveled enough miles to have that be a possibility it's me.

For some reason, my mind keeps wandering to my past on these long rides. Remembering how my father was betrayed by the very men who were supposed to protect him. Remembering how my mother abandoned us afterwards. She was afraid that she would be next and that a few children would slow her down. She fled Galis for her life. All my brothers were slain, they were too old to be trained. I was put into training. I was to be one of the slingers. The slingers were the kings guard, the men that had betrayed my father. The new king had thought it was ironic to force me to train as a slinger to protect him after he had betrayed my father. He lived for irony that man.

Alas though, here i am. Obviously not a slinger in a far off land in a world that has moved on around me. I am a lightbringer, a gunslinger of my own style, travelling the world to find the unnatural and put things back to as right as they can be. And maybe, just maybe, if i slay my way through enough of these undead fiends, i can find where they actually come from. And if i can find the mastermind behind it all, maybe he will know the one who put the events into motion that took my family from me."

"Come on Chester, carry me and these goods onward. We have unnatural creatures afoot."

Roland continues to ride on, never wavering. He does not fear the undead. He does not fear their masters. He fears only failure, not being able to one day find the mysterious stranger who had cost him everything. He still isn't sure who it is, but he knows he uses the undead as his work force, and that he has his plans afoot across every part of the world roland has ever been to. And he knew that one day he would find him, and make him put things right. And if he couldn't put things right, then he would make sure he didn't do it to anyone else, ever again.

"Well, I'm no diplomat but a hunter and probably my ancestry won't play in my favour when dealing with human communities, but someone has to do the job. I could probably let my deeds talk for me in front of those knights." Kuroi thinks to himself. "It'll be better for me to find a caravan to Barovia and join them, hiding between regular people and keeping a low profile sounds like a good travel plan."

Then the avian hunter caws three times while gliding down the lightbringer's stronghold, a pair of red eyes shine between the branches of a dying tree. "Let's go Nevermore, we have a job to do..."

The midday sun glaring bright in his eyes, Weiryn pulls the cloak hood over his eyes, feeling a bit more comfortable now that he sees a few familiar faces from the guild.

"Suffer no false life, brothers."

"Suffer no false life." Ujjaya intones in response. He has been on a mission with Weiryn before, banishing ghosts from a village that had lost all its children to the plague. As well, Ujjaya nods to Darren. Ujjaya and the warpriest had been part of an expedition to a silver mine up north where human miners had disturbed an ancient crypt and woken its inhabitants.

Ujjaya looks curiously at the other travellers bound for Barovia, some wear the half-sun, half moon symbol but others do not. Of particular interest is a tengu trying his best to disguise his ancestry. Ujjaya knows something of how that feels. "Namaste." Ujjaya greets the stranger with a slight bow and folded hands held to his own chest - the traditional greeting of his monastic order. "I am Ujjaya. I noticed your bow - an exquisite weapon."

As people wearing an elven brooch with a sun assemble and greet each other, Kayleigh glances at the group, curious. She then spurs her horse to ride near a man in armor wielding a warhammer.

"Hey. I was wondering what's that symbol you're wearing, you and the others ?"

She nods toward a man in a cloak and the one bowing in a greeting, both of them wearing the same clasp. Though the symbol did ring a bell, she could not remember what exactly it was.

"Suffer no false life. It's good to see some of you again. Are we all here answering the call for barovia?"

Weiryn nods from beneath his cloak. Indeed. The zombie infestation is great there. I understand they have nearly overwhelmed the valley.

"Suffer no false life," he says with a nod to his peers.

Darren turns to look over the newcomer for a moment before answering, "This is the symbol of the Lightbringers, enemy to undead everywhere. My name is Darren Silversmith. And you are?"

"I received no dispatch from the guild. Ujjaya replies to Roland. I am headed for Barovia at the behest of a woman who begged my aid recovering her missing husband. It seems lycanthrope are involved. But now that our paths have crossed, surely our missions will show themselves to be intertwined." Ujjaya adds serenely as he continues to admire the cloaked tengu's bow, "What must be shall surely come to pass."

"I'm Kayleigh. Nice to meet you."

It is less nice, however, to receive a confirmation about the werewolves and the undead infestation. The blade to rent frowns. For sure, she has been warned beforehand, but still... "infestation" does not bode well. At least the mission is to be interesting.

"I knew about the smuggler infestation, but zombies overwhelming the valley might prove more problematic."

Annoyed more than preoccupied, she turns toward the merchant.

"Is Barovia so far from the inn ? I couldn't get any clear information on that when I asked..."

"Suffer no false life" answers the tengu. "My name is Kuroi Hane, pleased to meet you gentle Ujjaya, and pleased to meet all of you brothers. Looks we are all going to the same cursed place. Blessed be Pharasma, it's a fortunate event to find other brothers but in this number and all heading to Barovia, this is sure her doing, sending us to destroy those that pervert the sacred cycle of life and death."

Mists that make it difficult to concentrate...could prove to be an interesting fight, then.

Weiryn turns to look at Darren, before stating, "Brother Silversmith, it would seem that the mists, from everything I have heard, cloud the mind with illusions and distractions. Have you any enchantments that might be able to fortify us against such intrusions?"

He then turns to the Tengu...pleased to see another follower of the Lady of Graves.

"It is an honor and privilege to meet you, Kuroi. I look forward to cleansing these lands by your side, and ensuring these lost souls find their final rest and reward."

"We should perform some tests with this mist before we venture out into it to fight. Perhaps something as simple as a damp cloth over the mouth to filter it could fight its effects. Or some kind of magical enchantment may be necessary. Wondering out into it to die with out finding out first is not on my list of actions however. Might i suggest that we go to the inn and talk about this over dinner. My treat tonight"

Roland will begin to slowly drive his mule and cart towards the parking area of the inn. Tying the mule off the hitching post he walks around to the back of his cart. Unloading a strange looking hand cart, placing his back pack on it, and walking inside to purchase a room.

"I could offer a prayer that should fortify us against any ill effects, but I do not know how effective it will be. And I will need a night to pray for use of that spell," Darren says after a moment's thought.

"It'll be an honor to fight to restore the sacred cycle by your side, noble Weiryn"

"I'm not sure I'd be of any help against such a mist but I can prove usefull if we're to encounter more physical perils, since it sounds like we're all headed toward Barovia."

Once they arrive at the inn, Kayleigh ties her horse to a post or leave it to a stableman if there's one around. She then picks up her saddlebags and equipment to enter the inn.

"Come brothers and sisters, let us dine and discuss our plans. We might also be able to glean some information from the barmen or his clientele."

"I would like the smoked pork, spiced potatoes, bread with butter, and a lager. Thank you my good sir"

"I'll take the shepherd's pie and the table wine, please."

Ujjaya, whose order prohibits the consumption of meat and intoxicating drink, quietly asks for a dish of the boiled leeks and carrots, and a jug of water.

Kayleigh sits at the table, making sure she can keep an eye on the room.

"I'll have the pickled sausage, steamed carrots and an ale."

"Shepherd's Pie and Wine for me, thanks," he says to the server before turning back to the conversation with his companions.

"Some ribs for me, raw, please"

After everyone has ordered and the innkeeper has gone to collect the meal and drinks, Weiryn turns to the rest of the party, looking to Kayleigh first.

Now, why have you come so far, milady? You've come to hunt smugglers? I know that I can't speak for everyone here, but I would be willing to aid you in your mission should you help us with ours.

"So you mean to tell me that we have Lightbringers here to hunt undead, another Lightbringer here to hunt the lycanthropes, and your here for smugglers? How much bad luck can one town have?"

Kayleigh leans back more confortably against her chair.

"Well, I guess the undead and terrible reputation of Barovia are precisely why the smugglers chose this place to operate from. Not many people would come after them through the mist and the zombie infestation."

She shrugs. Problems, in her experience, tend to attract even more problems.

"With undead roaming around, I'd be glad to have some help and to return the favor. I'm pretty sure we could leave Barovia in a better state than it is if we see all of our jobs through the end."

Ujjaya nods sagely. "I agree. The gods have set our paths to intertwine. There is a higher, all-encompassing goal - one we may not yet perceive - at which point which all our efforts will converge."

"I'm sure that if we help each other and stay together we can prevail." The tengu looks at the bartender and smiles, then when the man leaves he whispers to his new allies "Of course I can eat coocked food if need be, but the look on their faces when I order raw meat is priceless..."

Then changes his expression to a more serious one "I myself am looking to contact the Ecaterines and the Raven Knights, oh and also look for some ancient relics... anyone knows anything about those people or the three saints of Barovia?"

Roland listens to Kuroi's request for info and sits back to think if he has anything of use.

I've heard a few things about the three saints...Saint Ecaterina founded the Ecaterine convents, Saint Markovia once fought against a group of vampire spawn, and Saint Bodgan dedicated the entirety of his long life to the service of good.

"I'm sorry Kuroi but I don't know much about this area of the world. I will keep a look out for anything that could help you find out though"

"Weiryn, you seem quite knowledgeable, perhaps you have heard of an artifact called the Sunsword?"

Roland begins to eat. Silently and pointedly. It doesn't take long.

He then turns to his lager, and slowly sips at it, intending to make it last the nights conversation.

"So does anyone know anything else about this accursed place?"

Kayleigh thanks the innkeeper and begins her meal, taking her time.

"I didn't hear much, except for the usual : mist, werewolves, undeads and such... It's kinda weird that people would know so little about a place quite close."

I've heard the tales, but sometimes it can be difficult to separate the truth from the embellishment. Weiryn sips at his wine for a bit before continuing. All I know for certain is that one of our guild-sisters has asked for assistance in dealing with the plague of undead there, and I fully intend on using every ounce of power at my disposal to wipe them out.

As he cuts into his shepherd's pie, Weiryn takes a look at the adventurers seated with him around the table. To that end, I feel as though we should familiarize ourselves with each other...discuss our strengths and weaknesses, and come up with a strategy.

Darren picks up the letter and reads through it quickly, then passes it around the table. Once everyone has read it he'll speak, "What do you all think? Sounds like we're already going to deal with the Undead anyway, so getting assistance from the locals would be greatly beneficial to our collective cause."

"A call for aid cannot be ignored no matter how suspicious. It won't hurt to ask, and if it is a trap we can beat it."

"I know that a call for aid can induce fear in most men and cause even the bravest men and women to hesitate. But fear not my brethren, as we have something the hordes of undead and even possibly the person behind the scenes don't know about.. we have Comradery. We will unite and present a strong front against all false life. We shall not waiver or faulter in the face of challenge or death. We will shoe these monstrous bastards what true lightbringers can do. Now who's with me?"

Kayleigh reads thorougly the message and raise an eyebrow, a bit puzzled by how this call for help ended up in their hands. However, she doesn't hesitate : forsaking these people is out of the question.

"I'll fight by you side ! These undead will bite the dust once and for all."

She glances one last time at the message.

"We should leave at dawn. They seem quite desesperate and I wouldn't want this plague to spread too quickly."

"Agreed, let's take an early rest and leave at first light."

Darren bids the others goodnight and retires to a private room and getting stabling for his horse. He stays up a couple more hours, communing with the Light and preparing for the trials ahead.

Ujjaya nods sagely at the suggestion of setting out at first light. "That is wise. The sun is ever our ally against undeath."

Rest well, my brethren, for tomorrow we end the undead plague in Barovia. Weiryn will settle his tab, grab a private room and stable his horse, locking his door before retiring for the night and awakening 2 hours before dawn.

Kayleigh pays for her meal, for a private room and for stabling and feed for her horse. She then bids goodnight to her companions and retires in her room for a good night of rest.

Next morning, she'll be up and ready to go a bit before dawn.

Roland decides to step outside for a smoke before bed. He has much to think on. When I walk outside I notice the mist and wonder if it's the one they speak of. If it is its time to see what effects it has anyway. I will sit down, roll a smoke, and take my chances.

Weiryn prepares his spells, pulls his hood over his eyes, and pauses at the door to watch the sunrise before he makes his way with the rest of the party...

Kayleigh makes sure everyone is there and take the direction of Barovia. She remains especially alert on the way there.

"So... First sign that we'll be reaching Barovia will probably be the mist, right ? We'll have to ride close if we're to not scatter in that fog."

Darren thinks for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps we could ride in a line and all hold onto a rope? That would make it near impossible to get separated."

Weiryn pulls out his trail rations, and nibbles on them in the shade of whatever tree he can find. His ring helps keep him sustained, and this midday sun is hard on his eyes. For the most part, he is keeping an eye out for any trouble that might come their way while his companions eat a full meal.

Darren eats a light lunch, preferring to save as much as possible in case the unforeseen happens and he can't resupply. He prays for a short time before mentally preparing for the trials ahead.

Roland will let his donkey munch while he eats a small snack. Had a good meal last night, no sense being wasteful. Also keeping an eye out for small game for some form of meat.

Kayleigh dismounts and lets her horse graze. She then takes a few steps to strech her legs. Though her ring sustains her, she drinks a bit of water.

"It feels nearly weird to travel on a road so quiet..."

She glance at the road ahead of them, hoping to see a sign of the mist or any sign of life.

Ujjaya nibbles on some herbs and takes a sip of water before squatting underneath a tree to meditate.

Once everyone is ready to resume the journey, Kayleigh climb back on her horse and lead the way, vaguely keeping an eye on the tracks in case they'd diverge from the road. Most of her attention however remains on what lies ahead.

Darren looks around at the sudden shift in atmosphere and shakes his head, "Dark omens. Best keep our eyes open for trouble, the rumors about this place may turn out to be true."

Roland takes not of the scenery change. This looks rather suspicious. He reaches into the cart behind him and pulls the cover off of a large tied down object.


"No sense in taking unnecessary chances."

With the feeling that he's being watched growing stronger and stronger with each passing moment, Weiryn takes a moment to grip his holy symbol and utter a few words of prayer to Pharasma before speaking to the others.

Stick close together, my friends. This mist is thick, and I feel as though we are being watched.

Casting Deathwatch here. For 30 minutes I can see the well being of any creature in the 30 foot cone of where I'm looking.

With Weiryn's warning, Roland focuses more intently, looking for possible enemies, or places for a likely ambush.

Darren peers around, looking for any sign of danger. He lays a hand on the handle of his warhammer, drawing comfort from the cold steel.

"Everyone one halt, there is something here that is worth investigating."

Roland dismounts from his cart and goes over to point out the beginning of the tracks.

"Didn't some of you say something about werewolves? These are larger than any wolf track i have ever seen."

Kayleigh looks around, not liking in the least the feeling of being watched and the fog getting denser. She draws her sword and stays especially alert.

"Werewolves uh ? Nasty things."

She dismounts and follows Roland, ready to attack should those werewolves be around.

"I seek a man named Maugren, who was last seen heading for Barovia to hunt werewolves." Ujjaya moves to crouch beside Roland, studying the tracks.

"Shall we investigate?" Ujjaya begins, but pauses, glancing at Roland's wagon-mounted contraption. "We may need to go on foot."

Roland pulls a revolver from his holster.
"I have other means"

I carefully crouch to use stealth as my ally.

Ujjaya nods and leads the way towards the underbrush. Surely, whatever made these tracks is long gone, else the horses would be all afright. Still, the monk nocks an arrow to his bow.

Stealth check

Darren debates following or not, that kind of thing is not his style at all and he can't move very silently in his heavy armor. He decides in the end to just wait and listen, rather than ruin any chance they have for surprise.

Weiryn didn't prepare himself for stealth today, but he follows the others, stay about 10 ft behind whoever is in front of him.

There is a body ahead, my friends. Tread lightly...

Still on alert I approach the body to see if there is an evident cause of death.

Let's open the letter and see if it's relevant.

I will pass the letter around for all to read, then fold it back up and put it in my bag.

"Seems Quite Different than the call for aid we recieved."

"It is possible that they are related," Weiryn states after reading the letter. "It is not uncommon, in my experience, for Vampires to dabble in necromantic magicks."

"Perhaps it's a trap. But we cannot turn back when something so foul is here."

"It's quite suspicious but I agree with Roland : we can't just turn around and let these people suffer at the hands of undeads. And at least, now we know we have to be extra cautious."

"I suggest we not dawdle here any longer. Something large and powerful has been eating on this man. We should burn his remains out of respect, and then continue on."

Weiryn pulls out his old, worn prayer book and begins giving the corpse basic funeral rites, asking that Pharasma judge this poor soul fairly and justly, that he might receive his final reward.

Darren waits by his mount on the trail, watching for any sign of trouble.

After a brief prayer and moment of preparation, including an annointment with holy water, Weiryn motions everyone back. With a mutter and wave of his hand, a torrent of flame pours forth and engulfs the body, catching it on fire and beginning the cremation process.

With the threat of the undead looming ahead, I'd rather not have this poor soul attack us from behind. May Pharasma guide you home, brother.

"What is this wizardry. These gates opened themselves. There must be a found magician here indeed."

Could be wizardry indeed. There are spells that allow for such things.

Using my engineering knowledge to see if some hidden mechanical means is activating the gates.

When he hears the gates close on their own, Weiryn turns in his saddle after muttering a familiar cantrip...

Kayleigh utters a few words for the poor man and looks at his body is burned down to ashes. She then gets back on her horse, more decided than ever to end whatever evil caused the death of the poor soul.

She barely looks behind her when the gates close by themselves. She's only concerned by what's around and ahead of them.