Name of the campaign: MSD’s Campaign General notes Official MSD-Campaign Cheat Sheet Hello to all, friends, strangers and enemies alike. My name is the MadStepDad and this is my world. I’ve been DMing my current Ravenloft campaign for about 18 months now, and it shows no signs of letting up (that’s bad for the MSD-haters, great for ME). We began in the summer of 2002 with three player characters, and this was the first time I EVER ran a 3E campaign. I’m a former 2E thoroughbred. Since that time, I’ve been posting (bragging) about our campaign exploits for the entire world to see. Through the joys of the Internet I’ve managed to make some great friends as well as some vile enemies. And to my friends I propose a toast. (holds aloft a shot glass of Caramel Apple) This is for my friends and allies. Your kind words, illuminating ideas and constructive criticisms have inspired me to new heights. I cherish the interaction I have with each and every one of you, and I hope I can continue to serve these Phat Platters for as long as you’ll accept them. Your posts are motivation enough for me to continue. It ain’t about the $$$, y’all! It’s about the love! But check the irony of the situation; your boy MSD is all about the Love. Yet still I seem to generate so much Hate and Jealousy. Guess that’s the name of the Game though, right? Peace to all of you, and much love. PC description Alexus Darkangnon: Military child whose mother died during childbirth. His father never had time for him, so his entire existence was dedicated to garnering his father’s elusive approval. It never came. Destanial Magorian: ½ vistani bastard child who was used and abused by his wicked stepfather and stepbrothers. He’s just waiting for that chance to flee once and for all. Solyss Zadaraq: Youngest son of the Vallaki Burgomaster. Exceptionally skilled with the sword, but a threat to his oldest brothers claim to the throne. Beans: NPC and friend to the whole bunch. He and Alexus are the oldest and the two most likely to get into the trouble. Beans is a homeless street urchin hustling just to survive. Not very bright but steadfastly loyal. Short summary of the sessions Episode #1: The River Ivlis Bandit The entire campaign began in the village of Vallaki in Barovia, during the summer of 735. I started the game with three players. Solyss Zadaraq was the youngest of the group, but perhaps its most influential. His father was the Burgomaster of Vallaki. The oldest of the group was Alexus Darkangnon (at the ripe old age of 18). He was a bastard military child who did everything he could to gain his fathers favor. Destanial Magorian was the outcast half-vistani who found acceptance within his small circle of friends. Beans was my NPC who rode for the fellas through thick and thin. They were all crew. The first adventure I ever ran had very little to do with Ravenloft in the traditional sense. Matter of fact, I took one of those old 2E Thieves Challenge modules and revamped the story for 3E. The story detailed a band of hoodlums and mercenaries that were knocking off trading ships and stealing cargo. Burgomaster Zadaraq (father to young Solyss) ordered his youngest son to find the culprit or never return home. Eventually the three players (and one NPC) discovered the Bandit’s true identity. Unfortunately for them, the entire scheme appeared to be a set-up as all fingers pointed back to Solyss’ father. He denounced Solyss as his son, and banished him from the domain, citing “security reasons”. Burgomaster Zadaraq holed them all up in a small cottage he owned in Tuefeldorf, Gundarak. The lives of these four young boys would never be the same again. Episode #2: Love’s Bitter Sting Upon reaching Teufeldorf, Gundarak and becoming acquainted with the oppression and tyranny, young Solyss Zadaraq had a chance encounter with a beautiful young girl on the run from the law. Turns out she is Duke Gundar’s latest bride-to-be and she is absolutely horrified. For the first time in young Solyss’ life, he felt the tender, warm embrace of a female. He was immediately smitten. That’s why it was such a cruel and shocking surprise to him when the poor young girl BEGGED him to end her life! (at this time the players had NO idea Duke Gundar was a vampire). Sadly, Solyss was forced to follow- through, lest his love rise again as an undead monstrosity. This set Solyss’ path for revenge against Duke Gundar. However, real-life took a toll on the game when Solyss’ player was locked up in Plymouth County soon thereafter. He was forced to retire his character from the game. I wrote Solyss out of the game during a late-night rally by Duke Gundar. He put a slew of criminals and violators on display for the entire village to see (this included a homeless couple who stole pumpkins for food, a vistani boy who impregnated a local girl and young Solyss Zadaraq who was accused of stealing flowers from the courtyard). Duke Gundar never found out who killed his bride-to-be. Suffice to say, Alexus, Beans and Destanial watched on in horror as the Duke severed their best friends hands and strung him up from the gallows. This was a MAJOR turning point in the campaign. Beans couldn’t withstand the horror any longer, and retired from the group to return home to Barovia. He hasn’t been seen since. His Will was shattered. Destanial and Alexus, on the other hand, vowed to see Duke Gundar fall. And with the help of a local ranger named Gavin, a Mordentish herbalist named Rudolph and the whisperings of a Gundarakian Revolution to urge them on, they set out to accomplish this lofty goal… Episode #3: When Black Roses Bloom Sensing the drive and motivation within Alexus and Destanial to see Duke Gundar fall, a gentleman by the name of Rudolph van Richten took them under his wing (he felt more pity for Destanial than bias). He spoke of an underground revolution party (die Drehzehl) that was seeking to overthrow the Duke and take Gundarak back. It was HERE that the players first learned Duke Gundar was a nosferatu. Van Richten explained that only a specific type of wooden stake would be effective against the evil Duke. A stake crafted from the wood of a Blood rose plant, which can only be found in the lands of Sithicus. Also during this time, Cemetery Home Outkast called me up out of the blue (hadn’t seen him in years) and asked to join the game. He created a young sorcerer named Aramil Kraven who was forced out of his Darkonian home by forces beyond his imagination (Aramil Kraven is a 10-year old foster kid). The stablehand at his rich Darkonian house was the one who smuggled him safely out of Darkon (along with the stablehands own young son, Jorge). They wound up in Gundarak where their “special powers” would be put to good work. Aramil was a burgeoning sorcerer and Jorge was a psionic in training. Subsequently, Doctor van Richten, the Gundarakian ranger Gavin der Stahlzah and the three player characters (Alexus, Destanial and Aramil) had to travel to Sithicus on behalf of the Revolution and retrieve the blood rose stakes. During the stay in Sithicus, they met Magda and her Wanderers, which included Jalise (the young neice who became smitten with Destanial), Natacha (the wild-cat hellion with a healthy streak of “bad girl”) and Kolyan (the young vistani boy who was awestruck by Aramil’s awesome powers). I recrafted the Hexad so the first stanza foreshadowed the freeing of the Wanderers and the near-destruction of their land. But I kept the “House Daegon” references. By adventure’s conclusion, the Wanderers were freed, Destanial tearfully bid farewell to Jalise, Lord Soth was enraged, Aramil was struck by the revelation of his past and the blood rose stakes had been acquired. Back to Gundarak… Episode #4: Death Of A Darklord This was the BIG one. The one adventure that garnered most of my readers, and changed our campaign direction forever. It lasted a loooong time in real-life, but was worth every second. A truly epic adventure. By adventure’s end, alliances had been forged and broken. Allies and enemies alike met untimely deaths. Natacha and Jorge mysteriously vanished (no doubt recruited by the enigmatic “H”). Destanial encountered the Tribe of Hyksosa, which subsequently led to the Revolution being discovered by Duke Gundar and Hyksosa himself escaping from the dungeons below Castle Hunadora. I introduced Heroes Of Light and Champions Of Darkness into the Game for the first time, and Alexus took his first taste of “Agony”. Cemetery Home Outkast (player of Aramil) temporarily resigned from the crew due to a death in the family. Through all the trials and tribulations, Destanial took the Test Of Virtue and became an official Blessed Defender. His tighmaevril blade, as well as Alexus’ Black Razor made their debuts here as well. Ultimately, Duke Gundar met his demise and the lands of Gundarak returned to the original three ruling families. In the aftermath of Episode 5, the players were elevated to Count and Lord respectively. They named their new province “Solyss” in honor of their deceased friend. Oh yeah, on the VERY last night of the adventure, seconds after Duke Gundar was killed, five dudes came to my door looking for beef.