The pall of Zhakata the Beast-god, the Devourer hangs over the lands of Barovia, the domain of Lord Stradh Von Zarovich. (good to give props to our DM 
). The travelers on the road are a peculiarly mixed band so disparate and strange one would not imagine they could tolerate each other’s company, let alone travel as allies and friends. Without words an outside observer can easily intuit the bond that exists between the Drow Elf, the human Barbarian, the half elf ranger and his canine companion, Cavall, and the armoured human fighter. It is obvious by how they move they are long used to fighting alongside each other. They move as a unit, relaxed and confident, watchful of their surroundings,and certain of each other, at least as warriors.
Of the four, two travel with a specific purpose, Danaidh, the half elf/human ranger and Sir Vilemar Uskeveran, the human fighter. Danaidh searches for his mother who has fled to the far reaches of Barovia to escape the mindless vengeance of the vampire Lord Gavril. Sir Vilemar, too joins Danaidh in his search, having heard further rumours that women in the outlying areas of Boravia are disappearing in numbers that are far too high to be anything but suspicious. Vilemar’s heart is heavy with the fear that Danaidh’s mother may be one of these suspect vanishings. Rumble Thirst, the fiercest of barbarians, joins Danaidh as much for the adventuring as the blood bond they share and Laelriina, the Drow elf paladin, joins them because she knows they need someone to watch their back and keep them on the right track.
Chilled by the drizzle, wearied by the slick mud and the listless light of the midday sun, Danaidh urges his friends to forebear and hurry that they may reach Barovia before nightfall. Up to this point conversation has been desultry. The landscape is already disheartening, at night it will be even more so. The animals they travel with seem equally cautious and unsettled by the weather and their surroundings. The wind dies and yet the fog still rolls in, churning unpleasantly. The scream that comes out of the fog, sends Danaidh running for cover, even as the other’s close ranks. Cavall, his hound is less intimidated, lunging into the mists and comes away with rags. The woman that collapses amidst them is much like the landscape, beaten down, skeletal and clinging to life. Laelriina, reassures the dying woman they mean her no harm, offering healing and sustenance. She declines both only too ready to die, but she cries for her child. Laelriina is moved by the woman’s pleas and insists they find the child. Danaidh is more than agreement, prioritizing a living child over the dying woman. Rumble is likeminded. The dying woman pleads with the band to help her sons, one who is held prisoner in a foul place. She gives them clues and a direction to take offering Laelriina a wreath pin in exchange.
Daniadh and Rumble decide it is pointless to linger over the dying woman, instead heading in the direction given, towards the howls of wolves. Vilemar, used to Danaidh and Rumble’s abruptness, does not judge them, instead taking care to watch over Laelriina as she offers prayers for the dead woman. Then they too follow their comrades in arms. Danaidh and Rumble follow the woman’s path to come upon a swaddled bundle and a wolf standing over it. Danaidh looses an arrow. Rumble charges the wolf frightening it into the woods. Laelriina retrieves the bundle only to discover the skeletal remains of a child. Before they can do much more than flinch at the disturbing discovery, the woods fill with wolves, hard to pinpoint as they glide in and out of the shadows, keeping their distance. Lael retrieves the body, noting unhappily that the child’s hand is missing. She searches the area around the body but finds nothing and hands off the dead body to Rumble. They both have an unpleasant moment when the rags fall open and the dead child’s head lolls to the side gazing up at Rumble with empty dead eyes. Lael’s eyes fill with horror, but Rumble is made of sterner stuff and unflinchingly rewraps the tiny body and tucks it away in a saddlebag.
Danaidh ranges through the woods, scouting ahead, Cavall keeping pace when he comes upon a peculiar find, a small figurine bird made of small finger and hand bones. Danaidh concludes that this is the hand the dying woman spoke of. He makes note of the direction the figurine points in and returns to the group to redirect them. Even as he returns the woods fill with howling. They hear the crack of whip, creak of wagon and panicked horse just before it bursts into the clearing, a pack of wolves hot on it’s heels. The wagon throws a wheel overturning leaving horse and driver, a rail thin Vistani woman, at the mercy of the sleek ravening beasts and their pack leader a massive dire wolf. Danaidh, Cavall and Laelriina break off to help the Vistani woman, as some of the wolves turn and deal with the most pressing threat, the barbarian and Sir Vilemar. Rumble strikes the first wolf with a mighty javelin throw that lays it out, however he himself is soon buried in fur and teeth as the rest close in upon him. His strike leaves Danaidh an opening to reach the Vistani woman who is fending off the alpha, who is kept at bay by her whip, but her strength is clearly waning.
Sir Vilemar manages to kill the first wolf that attacks him only to have another fall upon him, teeth slashing at his leg. With a two-handed overhand strike Vilemar impales the wolf and kicks it off his sword, only to find Rumble buried under wolves. He hesitates, seeing that Laelriina and Danaidh are trying to help the woman, and Rumble struggling with the wolves. Vilemar chooses to help the Vistani woman, trusting in Rumble’s strength and skill to win him the day, only to see his thow nearly kill the poor woman. He watches as Laelriina tries to sneak around and attack one of the wolves only to be dragged to the ground. He is grateful to see her fend off the wolf and extricate herself to help the woman. His faith in Rumble does not go unfounded, as the Barbarian cleaves a wolf in half, but it is the pack leader drawing back that scatters the others, landing a few more blows as they flee into the woods cowed. Danaidh and Rumble regroup, while Laelriina tends the Vistani woman.
Marda thanks them weakly for their help offering service for food and assistance. The band of heroes agrees and there we leave our story.
Lovely write-up of our first round of adventures in Ravenloft Lairenn! :D
I am definitely looking forward to finding out what lies ahead of us next... 
Excellent recap, Lairenn, thanks! That came off pretty spooky.
Akeisha wrote:
Nice write up. Very interesting start to your Ravenloft adventure. (I could never write something as amazing as this for my Ravenloft campaign.)