The Song of Aracos

The Song of Aracos a Ravenloft adventure for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition by Lucas Curell Edited by: Rebecca Curell and Chance Kemp Cover Art: Monica Marie Doss Playtesters: Addison Spear, Chris Erskine, Daniel Kay, Matt Boettcher The Song of Aracos © 2016 Embers Design Studios, LLC Embers Design Studios, LLC P.O. Box 361 Freeland, MI, 48623 http://www.embersds.com Embers Design Studios, City of Brass, the Embers Design Studios logo and the City of Brass logo are trademarks of Embers Design Studios, LLC. Sample file DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, Ravenloft, Curse of Strahd, Barovia, Strahd von Zarovich, the dragon ampersand, and all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast in the USA and other countries. This work contains material that is copyright Wizards of the Coast and/or other authors. Such material is used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. All other original material in this work is copyright 2016 by Embers Design Studios, LLC and published under the Community Content Agreement for Dungeon Masters Guild. Additional Art Credits Publisher’s Choice Quality Stock Art © Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games - Contents - Introduction 6 The Reading 8 Scene 1: Getting Started 12 Scene 2: Vistani 13 Scene 3: Mangy Mongrel 14 Scene 4: Talaitha 16 Scene 5: Finding Vasha 17 Scene 6: Tarin Nightingale 19 Scene 7: Vasha Moldova 20 Sample file Scene 8: Endings 22 Death at the Mangy Mongrel 23 Aracos Drowns 24 A New Bride 25 Hope Blossoms 26 Escape for Some 26 Scene 9: Song of Aracos 27 Special Events 28 Rewards 28 Introduction The Song of Aracos is a ghost story that follows a child where he determined to effect change in the only way named Talaitha as she struggles to reunite with her he knew how: through music. An extraordinary per- mother. It is written for five characters of 6th-level. This former, Tarin’s music has always been able to soften module is meant to be used in conjunction with Curse the hardest of hearts and, unbeknownst to him, holds of Strahd, published by Wizards of the Coast. While The magical powers. Song of Aracos can stand on its own, to experience it When he first put finger to instrument, when his fully, you need the Curse of Strahd adventure. first note sounded, things began to change. That note and those which followed pierced the boundaries of Adventure Background reality, exploding like a trumpet into the spirit realm In the year 347, Strahd von Zarovich came to the vil- and the consciousnesses of Barovia’s trapped souls. lage of Aracos during his war to end the enemies of These souls, languishing in darkness and silence, his family. To him, Aracos was a convenient staging flocked to the sounds – sounds that soothed, sounds ground, a place he could billet troops and review plans. that comforted. Every night, even to this night, as Tarin His days were spent in long meetings, staring at maps plays his music at Aracos’ little inn, the Mangy Mongrel, or conversing with his generals. Nights he often spent fills up with souls drawn from across Strahd’s domain. with a village girl named Vasha Moldova. To Strahd, None can see them, of course, but they linger there. Vasha was just a distraction, one he soon forgot as his Tarin played each night for months, and began to armies marched onward. To Vasha, however, Strahd despair for the lack of outward change, for he knew was much more, and nine months after his departure, not of his unseen watchers. His heart grew weary with she gave birth to a child, the daughter of failure until, only a few nights past, something ex- Strahd van Za- traordinary began to happen. The soulless denizens rovich. of Barovia, those who never smile or laugh, began A special note for PCs with the Haunted The child, to quietly sing along. Those quiet whispers turned to One Character Background: there are whom she named mumbles, the mumbles to words, and before he knew several points in this adventure when Talaitha, was it, the entire place was singing, dancing, and having a the trapped souls of Barovia gather in never healthy, grand time. Something he couldn’t understand was great numbers. PCs that chose the “I talk happening. He was overjoyed. He played all the more to spirits that no one else can see” flaw can and in the year vigorously for it. see these spirits. However, the spirits 351, only days will not interact with the characters. For after SampleStrahd’s fileAmong those assembled was a man called Bo- details on the Haunted One Character transformation gan Konstanovich. Bogan had been present for nearly Background, see the see Curse of Strahd to a vampire, she all of Tarin’s performances, and had always kept the page 209. died. But, trapped same stoic, emotionless look on his face. On that night now in the though, on that night Bogan was smiling, and Tarin cursed realm played his music for Bogan. He watched a change take of Barovia, her soul place in the man. It was as if in one moment Bogan could not find peace. transformed from an empty shell into a living being, Vasha sunk into a deep depression after Talaitha’s filled with emotion and purpose. When the perfor- death, craving death herself. But the Dark Powers had mance ended and the usually melancholy folk returned other plans. Vasha was cursed with life. So long as her to their normal dreary ways, Bogan remained differ- daughter’s soul suffers, Vasha lives. ent. Tarin could see it in him. He was more alive than Ignorant of these events, Strahd rules Barovia from he had been. Castle Ravenloft. Strangely, of all his realm he finds What Tarin could not know, what Bogan himself himself oddly attracted to the village of Aracos. He has cannot know, is that through the power of Tarin’s mu- never understood the attraction, but often finds him- sic Bogan was indeed transformed. He entered the self visiting the town. Sometimes he visits openly, oth- Mangy Mongrel that night a soulless denizen of Baro- er times in secret. via, one of the hosts created by Strahd’s machinations to populate his realm. He left the Mangy Mongrel a Tarin Nightingale creature with a soul. A few months ago, a bard by the name of Tarin Night- These souls are not the only things that hear Tarin’s ingale arrived in Strahd’s domain. He drifted from one music. Strahd’s daughter, Talaitha, who has suffered in village to the next, finding only anger, gloom, fear, and silence for so long, can hear him also… depression in his travels. Finally, he settled in Aracos 66 laitha, and Tarin together to put the ghost’s spirit to Synopsis rest and make their return to Aracos. The Song of Aracos opens with action, as the player char- But Strahd has plans for Tarin, plans that may acters (PCs) interrupt an attack by Strahd’s minions on change things irrevocably. The PCs must face the Bogan Konstanovich. After rescuing Bogan, they re- vampire and overcome him if they are to save Aracos, turn with him to Aracos where they meet a Vistani seer Tarin, Vasha, and Talaitha. and, maybe, have their fortunes read. That same night, they witness a performance by Tarin Nightingale, a Using Strahd performance Strahd also attends. Strahd seems to be Strahd is an important actor in this adventure. You will stricken with desire for Tarin, but orders the death of use the results of a tarokka reading to determine his the patrons, so the PCs must defend themselves, and response to each of the major elements of this adven- maybe save some villagers too. ture. You may need to make adjustments to account Later that night, the PCs are visited by the ghost of for actions Strahd takes in relation to those goals. Talaitha, who asks them for help finding her mother. Keep his goals in mind, and use them to guide his ac- It is this search that brings them in contact with Vasha tions throughout the adventure. Moldova, from whom they learn something of Strahd’s past. They piece together the need to bring Vasha, Ta- If you don’t own the Curse of Strahd adventure, use a spell- casting vampire alternative from the Monster Manual for Strahd and assume his Heart of Sorrow ability absorbs the first 40 points of damage he takes each day. Sample file 7 The Reading Fate governs the motives and desires of Strahd von Setting Up Zarovich throughout this adventure. Before beginning When doing the reading, separate the fourteen cards play, you must complete a tarokka reading. If you do with the crown icon (the high deck), shuffle them, and the reading for your players again, simply substitute set them aside. Then, shuffle the remaining cards (the the new reading for the one you completed ahead of common deck) and set them aside. Draw three cards time. from the high deck, arranging them in positions 1, 2, and 3. Next, draw two cards from the common deck and place them in positions 4 and 5. Position 6 is a special card that will come into play based on the card in position 1. Using Regular Cards If you do not have a tarokka deck, you can use a regular deck of playing cards in its place. Seperate the aces and numbered cards from the face cards and jokers.

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