Beyond the veiled mists of Barovia, in the ominous shadow of Castle Ravenloft, the Nefarious Do-Gooders stood, their breaths visible in the chill that pervaded the air. The castle’s halls whispered of untold secrets and ancient curses, a labyrinthine sprawl of stone that ensnared the unwary. It was in these dread corridors that the fateful journey continued for Elora, Maledurk, Thorn, and Tempest.

The crypts of Ravenloft lay before them, each marked with a name that beckoned with eerie familiarity. Thorn, driven by a sense of foreboding destiny, was drawn to a tomb that bore his own name. Its inscription, a silent omen, called to him, and with a resolve forged in curiosity, they sought to unravel the mystery of these morbid monuments to lives once lived—or perhaps not yet lived.

In a moment as sudden as the blink of an eye, Elora vanished into the ethereal, leaving behind only the cold touch of stone where she once stood. In her place, a pale, wraithlike creature emerged, its eyes gleaming with malevolent hunger. The Nefarious Do-Gooders, no strangers to the dance of death, readied themselves for combat. Tempest conjured an Insect Plague, a swarm of chitinous vermin that filled the air, while Maledurk’s dagger and arrow met the creature’s flesh. Thorn’s Firebolt sizzled through the air, a lance of arcane fury, and together they brought the specter down, its form dissipating like mist at dawn.

Yet, as the creature fell, uncertainty took root. Was this creature Elora? The question hung heavily upon them, for Elora herself was plunged into a darkness so absolute, not even her keen elven eyes could pierce it. Trapped within confines of unyielding stone, she was entombed alive. Her calls for aid, though muffled by the thick walls of her prison, were a performance driven by panic and desperation.

The Nefarious Do-Gooders, their hearts gripped by concern for their companion, split their attention. Thorn, with a trembling hand, pushed open the lid of his namesake crypt, only to find a mirror image of himself, lifeless and cold—a perfect doppelgänger in deathly repose. The sight struck him with such a terror that he considered flight, but Maledurk, ever the stalwart guardian, joined him to ponder this macabre riddle. Was this a hologram, a mere trick of the eye, or indeed a corpse?

The debate turned to the dominant hand of the cadaver, a humorous attempt to discern whether this was indeed Thorn. With each observation, the lines between magic and reality blurred, and the nature of the corpse became a subject of intense speculation. It was Elora, emerging from the darkness that embraced her, who reached out to touch the waxen figure. With the contact, the facsimile melted away, leaving behind no trace, not even the inscription upon the door.

Amidst the grave solemnity of their surroundings, the term “interloping” became a jest, a moment of levity in the face of the uncanny. But it was Tempest, her senses attuned to the cries of her friend, who heard Elora’s voice emanating from a pit of bones and stone coffins—a chamber reminiscent of a past clash with a wight. With the aid of a crowbar, Tempest freed Elora from her stony casket, a reunion marked by relief and the looming question of whether to brave the darkness of the other coffins.

Their decision, however, was met with an immediate reprisal as opening another coffin stirred the skeletal dead and a wight to unlife. In the ensuing melee, Elora wielded her magic to snare and shield, while Tempest, with urgency, beckoned the others. Elora scaled the wall in a bid for escape, even as a fireball scorched the wight that pursued her.

Maledurk, consumed by rage at the peril to Elora, tore into the enemy with a ferocity that left it in pieces at the bottom of the shaft. Yet, even as the dust settled, another skeleton began to form, echoing the cycle of undeath that haunted this place. The party, ever cautious, debated the wisdom of disturbing a wasp nest, their experience warning them of the dangers unseen.

The exploration continued, with the party checking names on crypts, avoiding traps known and unknown, until they came upon a room adorned with bronze statues of warriors and a curtain of blue light. The arcane shimmer beckoned with both beauty and menace. Maledurk, through sheer force of will, erected a Wall of Force to block the light, allowing safe passage.

Within the tomb, they found the resting places of King Barov and Queen Ravenovia, adorned with stained glass and a ceiling of gold mosaic. It was upon the Queen’s coffin that Maledurk found a magic sword, its voice promising unity and victory over Strahd. With a long rest ahead and the need to attune to the blade, the Nefarious Do-Gooders prepared their defenses, invoking the Tiny Hut spell for sanctuary in this most haunted of abodes.

As they settled in, the realization that their next meeting would be delayed by weeks imbued their respite with a sense of weighty anticipation. In the heart of Castle Ravenloft, amidst the echoes of the past and the whispers of fate, the Nefarious Do-Gooders stood united, their resolve unbroken, their spirits indomitable, as they readied themselves for the battles to come.

Notes
  • The session begins with technical difficulties, including a black screen and poor reception for one of the players due to a switch from Ethernet to Wi-Fi.
  • The character Grestkrendreghk Elassayl Thorn expresses a desire to open a tomb with his name on it.
  • The group discovers that each crypt in the area they are exploring has different names on them, and they find one with Thorn’s name, which prompts them to search for more.
  • Elora disappears as she walks through a section, and a white creature appears in her place, leading to a combat encounter where the group rolls initiative.
  • The group engages the white creature, with Tempest casting an Insect Plague, Maledurk throwing a dagger and shooting an arrow with a short bow, and Thorn attempting to cast a Firebolt.
  • The white creature is defeated, and the group speculates whether it was Elora in disguise.
  • Elora finds herself in complete darkness, unable to see despite her dark vision, and realizes she is in a confined, stone space.
  • Elora attempts to push against the stone and calls for help, performing a Strength check and a Performance roll to make noise.
  • The rest of the group does not see Elora reappear and decides to investigate her disappearance, with Thorn heading to open the crypt with his name and the others looking for Elora.
  • Maledurk and Tempest conduct an investigation check and recall seeing a similar white creature at the bottom of a pit in another crypt.
  • Thorn opens his named crypt and finds an intact corpse that looks exactly like him, which shocks him and prompts him to consider fleeing.
  • Maledurk approaches Thorn and observes the corpse, discussing the possibility of it being a hologram or an actual corpse.
  • The group humorously debates whether the corpse is left or right-handed, trying to determine if it is indeed Thorn.
  • The group discusses the nature of the corpse in the crypt, speculating on whether it’s a result of magic that duplicates individuals for an undead army or a glimpse into the future.
  • They consider investigating the corpse further to determine if it’s actually one of them.
  • Elora decides to investigate the corpse by touching it, which causes it to melt away like a wax sculpture, including the clothes and body, leaving no trace.
  • Maledurk notices that the inscription on the door has disappeared after the body melted away.
  • The group jokes about the term “interloping” and recalls seeing bones and a body out of place earlier in their adventure.
  • Tempest hears Elora calling for help from a hole that leads to a room filled with bones and stone coffins.
  • The group remembers a previous encounter where they fought a wight after opening one of the coffins.
  • Tempest and Elora decide to investigate the room with the coffins, suspecting that they might be portals or used for storing abducted people.
  • Elora is trapped in a stone casket, and Tempest uses a crowbar to free her.
  • The group debates whether to open more coffins, with some members expressing reluctance due to the danger.
  • Tempest and Elora are attacked by a skeleton and a wight after opening another coffin.
  • The group discusses the possibility of transmutation magic being used to move people from one place to another.
  • Elora and Tempest fight the undead creatures, with Elora using spells like Snare and Barkskin to defend herself.
  • Elora attempts to escape by climbing up a wall, while Tempest calls for the other party members to help.
  • A fireball spell is used to attack the wight climbing after Elora.
  • Elora uses vines to hold the wight against the wall and then runs to hide behind Maledurk.
  • Maledurk prepares to confront the wight, warning Elora to be careful with her language.
  • Maledurk expresses anger and goes into a rage due to his feelings for Alora, attacking and pulling apart an unspecified target with advantage.
  • Maledurk successfully hits and deals critical damage, resulting in the target crunching and stopping movement at the bottom of a shaft.
  • The group discusses the presence of more coffins below and decides to investigate further.
  • Tempest notices another skeleton forming at the bottom of the shaft, similar to a previous encounter where killing an enemy resulted in a skeleton forming.
  • A fireball spell is mentioned but not used; instead, a spell that transfers hit points is cast, causing others to take damage while one character gains hit points.
  • The group debates whether to investigate a wasp nest, with some characters expressing caution.
  • The party continues to explore Castle Ravenloft, checking names on crypts and avoiding a trap that Maledurk previously encountered.
  • They encounter a room with bronze statues of warriors, a blue curtain of light, and stairs leading down to a larger room with a faint blue light.
  • The group speculates about the nature of the blue light and considers using a mirror or a force shield to block it.
  • Maledurk casts a Wall of Force to block the blue light, allowing the party to pass through safely.
  • Upon entering the tomb, they find two coffins marked for King Barov Von Zarovich and Queen Ravenovia Van Roeyan, with stained glass windows and a vaulted ceiling adorned with a gold mosaic.
  • Maledurk hears a voice in his head after picking up a magic sword lying on the Queen’s coffin, which says they can defeat Strahd together.
  • The party learns that attuning to the magic sword requires an hour of meditation.
  • They investigate the King’s coffin, finding a life-sized wax figure and a skeleton with no valuables or messages.
  • The Queen’s coffin is also opened, revealing another skeleton with a crown.
  • The group decides to take a long rest, with Maledurk needing an hour to attune to the sword and the party planning to use a Tiny Hut spell for protection.
  • The session ends with the group planning to take a long rest and acknowledging that they will not be able to play for the next two weeks, making it an extended break before the next session.