Everybody Dies 2 - Everybody Dies in Barovia

Player Cast:

• Scratch: An intentionally dirty hermit cleric. Lives under a rock, under a tree — far from people who bother him over things as small as a scratch.
• Erastus Dink: 55 y/o Barbarian. Elderly among his people, spent his life guarding caravans.
• Hingus McKringus: 45 y/o well-travelled showman. Colorful clothes, multiple instruments, big personality.

Supporting Cast:

• Astrazenica: Character from session 1

The Adventure

Astrazenica has been taken to Barovia. Each party member receives a letter on ancient parchment — her capture, and instructions to find her. The three meet at a crossroads, trade letters, and share how they each know her. They agree to work together and head into the ancient forest described in their letters.

Scratch led the way, the forest being his domain. The air was dead still, no sounds, no movement. As they pushed deeper, the path behind them vanished — trees closing, trail fading, fog rising until they were boxed in. Hingus cast dancing lights to push the mist back while Erastus lit his torch. Then Scratch spotted a light through the fog. They pressed toward it and broke into a small clearing filled with colorful tents and wagons. An ancient woman draped in layers of bright cloth waved them to her fire.

The Visanti

She introduced herself as Madame Eva, leader of this small band of Vistani. She explained they’d wandered into Barovia — a land and prison ruled by a powerful evil. Hingus had heard of these lands and knew the name: Strahd, vampire lord. They ate her stew, kept their guard up, and talked. When the bowls were empty she offered a Tarokka reading. They agreed.

She worked her way around the table, drawing a card for each:

• Erastus — The Executioner: none can defend against your next blow. ¹
• Scratch — The Torturer: agony to those who stand against you. ²
• Hingus — The Marionette: call what is lost to serve. ³

As Madame Eva moved to put the cards away, Hingus asked about drawing one for Astrazenica. She smiled and pulled one more — black, with a ram’s skull. The Darklord. Her eyes went wide. Before she could speak, the party was teleported into a stone corridor. Manmade walls, debris piled in the corners, and somewhere far ahead — a cracked door and the sound of an organ.

Ravenloft

They moved carefully, avoiding the debris. It didn’t matter. The twigs and leaves rustled and pulled themselves into piles, and suddenly five Twig Blights surrounded them — chittering and climbing, zeroing in on Hingus. Scratch warned the party these things don’t play nice. Hingus, sensing an opportunity, cast Friends ⁴. They calmed immediately. He named them on the spot: Twiggy, Iggy, Figgy, Biggy, and Ted. They seemed delighted. Hingus already had visions of a group musical number once they saved Astrazenica. Five members stronger, they pushed on to the door.

Inside, a handsome man in centuries-old clothing sat at the organ. He finished his song before acknowledging them. This was Strahd, Vampire Lord of Barovia — and they were in his castle. With a flourish and a bow, he invited them to dine. A feast materialized in the center of the room.

Over the meal, Strahd explained himself. He’d grown bored of Barovia’s usual temptations and entertainments, so he’d pulled in some outsiders. They were here to amuse him. Hingus stood immediately, gathered his blights, and took the stage — shaking but smiling. He plucked notes and launched into a performance. Erastus joined at the organ with a simple accompaniment. Strahd watched from behind his goblet of “wine.”

When it was over, Strahd rose and applauded. As a reward, he offered to return their missing friend. The curtains parted — and a shambling zombie walked out, wearing Astrazenica’s robes and clutching her crystal focus. This, apparently, was the entertainment he’d been waiting for. Strahd dissolved into bats and vanished. The zombie lurched forward.

The fight was quick. Scratch hit with moonbeam, Erastus landed a devastating blow, and Hingus jeered and directed the blights to swarm. The zombie fell, and the party caught a glimpse of Astrazenica’s spirit breaking free from Strahd’s grip. Then Strahd rematerialized. The party was over. Four pale figures in black-and-white suits stepped out from behind the curtain to show them the door.

The Pursuit

They ran. Once out of sight, Scratch and Erastus rigged a tripwire and laid a bear trap. Hingus tucked Ted safely into his vest, then crouched to speak to the other four blights — asking them to stay behind and grab at any legs that came through. With tears in his eyes, he left his “boys” and ran.

Each butler hit a trap. Each blight grabbed and tangled. They’d bought enough time to lose them — but then came footsteps, and two red dots glowing in the dark. Strahd himself, approaching slowly. They ran again, deeper into the castle dungeons, until they found an old cistern. Water hammered across the room, misting every surface. Scratch glanced back. Strahd’s smiling face crept forward through the dark.

Scratch reached into his bag and threw whatever his hand found — a bottle of holy water, straight into Strahd’s face. The vampire shrieked. In that window, all three dove into the torrent and let the current take them.

Some say they made it — held their breath through the rushing water and washed up on the riverbank, already planning their escape from Barovia. Some say Strahd sent agents to fish them out, eager to toy with them a while longer in his castle. But most know that in Barovia, hope for a hero’s survival is a hope bound to fail.

Reflections

I have been beating myself up over the ending. I may have made it a bit more interesting in writing than what happened during play. For a bit of context — during the climax at the end of the chase, the tornado siren down the road from my house and weather alerts on all our phones started going off. It was prudent to end the session and get everyone home safe. Once the players jumped in the water, the session was over. I told the group “They are swept away by the current and are not pursued by Strahd, his vampire nature preventing him from entering or crossing the moving water.”

It was abrupt and without any true climax fight against Strahd. I would have liked Strahd to be waiting for them to emerge from the water outside the castle for a true climax.

All else went great! It’s fun watching characters get made in isolation — no one knows what anyone else built until they’re all at the table. Only then do I reveal what the session is, and leave them to figure out how they know each other. I think Hingus got most of the spotlight this session due to the nature of a Bard being the face, but all players did wonderfully when put in roleplay scenarios. Scratch and Erastus both being quiet characters by design also ended up pushing Hingus further in the light.