Chapter 18: April the 19th
General Summary
Hail ye, mummers and mums,
For where last we saw our heroes, the Guardians of the Horizon, our pugnacious pacifist, Warren Peace, had just eviscerated the alpha of the Dreadwolf Pack. Possessed by his baser, lycanthropic instincts, Warren consumed the heart of former leader. Within the blood of this "Dreadwolf" laid a curse placed by Strahd as a mechanism by which he could all but guarantee the supplication of the original Dreadwolf and all he would sire. However, fate and all her wisdom saw fit to conspire here. For Warren had dormant within him an older strain of the werewolf curse, a shifter's curse, one that could resist the hubristic tamperings of the Dreadlord. A resistance that had been doubled to immunity now, as Warren had also already been exposed to Strahd's infection: for the same werewolf that bit Warren as young man, was the previous alpha of the barovian Dreadwolf pack, the one before Kiril, and that bite, all those years ago, the source of Warren's shame, isolation, and pain, had already primed Warren to survive this disease.
Now, with the memories of all the past Dreadwolves in his veins, and all the werewolves of the barovian pack under his command, Warren swore to fight Strahd, and rip from his blood-soaked hands the freedom and dignity that his people have always deserved. As a symbol of his commitment, and as his party's secondary objective, Warren took onto his shoulders the weight of skull of Argynvost, the silver dragon killed by the original Dreadwolf, whose death sealed the pact between werewolf and vampire. Warren carried the skull alone to the road where the Guardian's cart waited. Warren ordered his pack to protect Ezmerelda, Rudolph, and the children the alpha had just abducted as they all ventured to the Wizards of Wines Vineyard, taking with them the third and final missing magical seed. Once the children were safe, the Hunters and the pack were to meet the Guardians at the crossroads to Tsolenka Pass, giving the Guardians just enough time to take the skull of Argynvost to Argynvostholt and help free the Order of the Silver Dragon from their ghastly torment.
The Guardians drove their cart to the cliff face atop which towered the keep Argynvostholt, and were met by the spirit of Argynvost. They showed him his skull and he welcomed them into his hold, telling our heroes, "Enter my keep at sunset, Guardians, and complete my trial by midnight, and free my soldiers. Remind them of who they are, and who they must still be." As dusk fell, the Guardians entered and found an empty castle. All lights long burnt out. At the center of the great hall sat a lonely fireplace that Charlemagne thought well to ignite, though the flames quickly and magically turned to a silvered blue. The Guardians explored the wings of the hall, finding specters and revenants of the long dead soldiers, and more fireplaces, these though were adorned with varying portraits and plaque, describing the history of Lord Argynvost's arrival in Barovia, and his work with the young Prince Strahd in their conquest over the warlords that dominated the land all those years ago. By trial and error, the Guardians discovered eight portrait in total and the order in which to light their respective fireplaces, but it was not without its costs. Ocarin found himself alone in a room filled with ghosts, who held none of their rage back and almost re-killed our undead dwarf. And Vorthos called yet again on the Dark Powers to dispatch his own group of spirits, sacrificing his affect, much to the dismay of his friends. Ocarin took a moment, and using the strange needles they had found in Old Bonegrinder he attempted to stitched back together the soul of his dear swashbuckling friend. When his affect returned, Vorthos and his party resumed and completed their trial, igniting all eight fires, and for the first time in hundreds of years, warming the hearths of this cold, stone grave.
Now they must ascend the tower of Argynvostholt, and liberate the same revenants that fought them just moments ago. Could these spirits be the army to stand against Strahd and his dreadful Legion? Will the people of Vallaki survive the fight to come? Will our Guardians find the secret to Strahd's defeat atop Mount Ghakis? And will they be able to best the creature that stands guard of Tsolenka Pass' great Green Gate...?
For where last we saw our heroes, the Guardians of the Horizon, our pugnacious pacifist, Warren Peace, had just eviscerated the alpha of the Dreadwolf Pack. Possessed by his baser, lycanthropic instincts, Warren consumed the heart of former leader. Within the blood of this "Dreadwolf" laid a curse placed by Strahd as a mechanism by which he could all but guarantee the supplication of the original Dreadwolf and all he would sire. However, fate and all her wisdom saw fit to conspire here. For Warren had dormant within him an older strain of the werewolf curse, a shifter's curse, one that could resist the hubristic tamperings of the Dreadlord. A resistance that had been doubled to immunity now, as Warren had also already been exposed to Strahd's infection: for the same werewolf that bit Warren as young man, was the previous alpha of the barovian Dreadwolf pack, the one before Kiril, and that bite, all those years ago, the source of Warren's shame, isolation, and pain, had already primed Warren to survive this disease.
Now, with the memories of all the past Dreadwolves in his veins, and all the werewolves of the barovian pack under his command, Warren swore to fight Strahd, and rip from his blood-soaked hands the freedom and dignity that his people have always deserved. As a symbol of his commitment, and as his party's secondary objective, Warren took onto his shoulders the weight of skull of Argynvost, the silver dragon killed by the original Dreadwolf, whose death sealed the pact between werewolf and vampire. Warren carried the skull alone to the road where the Guardian's cart waited. Warren ordered his pack to protect Ezmerelda, Rudolph, and the children the alpha had just abducted as they all ventured to the Wizards of Wines Vineyard, taking with them the third and final missing magical seed. Once the children were safe, the Hunters and the pack were to meet the Guardians at the crossroads to Tsolenka Pass, giving the Guardians just enough time to take the skull of Argynvost to Argynvostholt and help free the Order of the Silver Dragon from their ghastly torment.
The Guardians drove their cart to the cliff face atop which towered the keep Argynvostholt, and were met by the spirit of Argynvost. They showed him his skull and he welcomed them into his hold, telling our heroes, "Enter my keep at sunset, Guardians, and complete my trial by midnight, and free my soldiers. Remind them of who they are, and who they must still be." As dusk fell, the Guardians entered and found an empty castle. All lights long burnt out. At the center of the great hall sat a lonely fireplace that Charlemagne thought well to ignite, though the flames quickly and magically turned to a silvered blue. The Guardians explored the wings of the hall, finding specters and revenants of the long dead soldiers, and more fireplaces, these though were adorned with varying portraits and plaque, describing the history of Lord Argynvost's arrival in Barovia, and his work with the young Prince Strahd in their conquest over the warlords that dominated the land all those years ago. By trial and error, the Guardians discovered eight portrait in total and the order in which to light their respective fireplaces, but it was not without its costs. Ocarin found himself alone in a room filled with ghosts, who held none of their rage back and almost re-killed our undead dwarf. And Vorthos called yet again on the Dark Powers to dispatch his own group of spirits, sacrificing his affect, much to the dismay of his friends. Ocarin took a moment, and using the strange needles they had found in Old Bonegrinder he attempted to stitched back together the soul of his dear swashbuckling friend. When his affect returned, Vorthos and his party resumed and completed their trial, igniting all eight fires, and for the first time in hundreds of years, warming the hearths of this cold, stone grave.
Now they must ascend the tower of Argynvostholt, and liberate the same revenants that fought them just moments ago. Could these spirits be the army to stand against Strahd and his dreadful Legion? Will the people of Vallaki survive the fight to come? Will our Guardians find the secret to Strahd's defeat atop Mount Ghakis? And will they be able to best the creature that stands guard of Tsolenka Pass' great Green Gate...?
Warren Peace
None Swiftstride (Acolyte)
Monk 7
Monk 7
52 / 52 HP
STR
9
9
DEX
18
18
CON
15
15
INT
14
14
WIS
18
18
CHA
14
14
Charlemagne
None Shadar-kai (Hermit)
Druid 7
Druid 7
66 / 66 HP
STR
13
13
DEX
15
15
CON
18
18
INT
17
17
WIS
20
20
CHA
12
12
Vorthos D'Artagnan
None Changeling (Pirate)
Rogue 7
Rogue 7
45 / 45 HP
STR
9
9
DEX
19
19
CON
13
13
INT
12
12
WIS
12
12
CHA
16
16
Ocarin Stonehollow
None Reborn (Haunted One)
Bard 7
Bard 7
52 / 52 HP
STR
12
12
DEX
13
13
CON
15
15
INT
18
18
WIS
16
16
CHA
20
20
Report Date
19 Apr 2025
Primary Location
Secondary Location
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